Sports
ESPN Events Announces Inaugural ‘Showdown at the Net’ Volleyball Tournament
Story Links CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – ESPN Events announced the inaugural “Showdown at the Net”, set for September 9-10, which will feature 16 of the 18 Atlantic Coast Conference volleyball teams taking on teams from the Southeastern Conference. “We are thrilled to showcase these two conferences in the ‘Showdown at the Net’,” […]
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – ESPN Events announced the inaugural “Showdown at the Net”, set for September 9-10, which will feature 16 of the 18 Atlantic Coast Conference volleyball teams taking on teams from the Southeastern Conference.
“We are thrilled to showcase these two conferences in the ‘Showdown at the Net’,” said Stephanie Grant, Director of ESPN Events. “The sport of volleyball is continuing to skyrocket and we are excited for the opportunity to stage this event not only in Fort Worth, but in SEC/ACC matchups across the country.”
The Showdown at the Net is a two-year agreement that will feature 16 ACC and 16 SEC volleyball teams going head-to-head. ESPN will host one neutral site event with two teams from each conference while all other matches will take place on ACC or SEC campuses. All matches will be aired on ESPN, ACCN and SECN linear networks and ACCN+ and SECN+ digital platforms.
Teams were selected and seeded based on the RPI that was released on December 1, 2024, at the time of the 2024 NCAA Volleyball Championship selections.
The ACC is proud to partner with ESPN and the SEC on a volleyball challenge that will showcase both conferences, including two neutral-site games as part of the inaugural ‘Showdown at the Net’,” said Jared Romance, ACC Assistant Director of Championships. “We look forward to competing in this premier event and watching our student-athletes and programs be nationally showcased as part of this exciting initiative.”
The neutral site event, named the Shriners Children’s Showdown at the Net, is a four-team showcase that will take place on Wednesday, September 10, featuring Pitt versus Kentucky at 6:30 p.m. ET and Louisville versus Texas at 9 p.m. ET at the Dickies Arena in Forth Worth, Texas.
Shriners Children’s Hospital serves as the title sponsor of the four-team showcase, adding to their portfolio of ESPN Events. Tickets for the Fort Worth event are set to go on sale early this summer, but fans are encouraged to sign up for pre-sale alerts via www.showdownatthenet.com.
“The Shriners Children’s Showdown at the Net is another way for our healthcare system to showcase the life-changing efforts that we perform for children across the nation and worldwide,” said Bob Roller, Shriners Children’s Vice President for Sports. “We are extremely pleased to join these universities to highlight an NCAA women’s sport that is growing at an incredible pace.”
Showdown at the Net Game Schedule
Tuesday, September 9
Stanford at Missouri | ESPN2
Texas A&M at SMU | ESPN2
Florida at North Carolina | ACCN
Georgia Tech at Tennessee | SECN
Georgia at Clemson | ACCNX
LSU at Notre Dame | ACCNX
Boston College at Arkansas | SECN+
Virginia at Auburn | SECN+
Wednesday, September 10
Louisville vs. Texas | ESPN
Pitt vs. Kentucky | ESPN
South Carolina at NC State | ACCN
Florida State at Oklahoma | SECN
Ole Miss at Miami | ACCNX
Vanderbilt at Cal | ACCNX
Duke at Mississippi State | SECN+
Wake Forest at Alabama | SECN+
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2024, the 34-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, the premier regular season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. Follow ESPN Events on Facebook, Twitter/X and YouTube.
About Shriners Children’s:
Shriners Children’s is a leader in providing care for orthopedic conditions, burn injuries, spinal cord injuries and other spine disorders, rehabilitation, sports injuries and craniofacial conditions. We also offer specialized services, including orthotics and prosthetics and motion analysis. We strive to provide the care and support our patients need to reach their goals and discover their full potential. In addition, our healthcare system conducts research to improve our patients’ quality of life and offers outstanding educational programs for medical professionals. All care and services are provided regardless of the families’ ability to pay or insurance status.
Shriners Children’s is a nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity of donors. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. For more information, including the full range of care disciplines, please visit shrinerschildrens.org.