STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford women’s volleyball will travel to the Sunshine State to headline the 2026 Shriners Children's 'Showdown at the Net' ACC/SEC Challenge, ESPN announced Thursday.
The Cardinal will take on defending national champion Texas A&M on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at the ESPN Wide World of Sport Complex in Kissimmee, Florida. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m. PT on ESPN2.
“We’re excited to once again partner with the SEC, ESPN, and Shriners Children’s for this premier conference volleyball event,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “After building strong momentum in our inaugural year, this event showcases elite programs while highlighting the continued growth and national appeal of women’s college volleyball. We look forward to the neutral-site matches at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, as well as the 14 matches that will take place on campuses.”
Stanford is 5-1 all-time against Texas A&M. The two teams met most recently on Sept. 3, 2017, in College Station where the Cardinal was victorious, 3-0, in Montag Director of Women’s Volleyball Kevin Hambly’s first season at the helm of the program.
Stanford and Texas A&M will headline the event at the State Farm Field House at Walt Disney World Resort in the second annual challenge between the ACC and SEC. Pittsburgh and Tennessee will face off in the first match, slated for 4 p.m. PT on ESPN2. Last year, the ACC won the overall contests with a 9-7 record.
Tickets will go on sale in early May. In the meantime, fans can secure first access to the best seats by signing up for the event pre-sale at www.showdownatthenet.com.
About ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In the 2025-26 academic year, the 35-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, the premiere 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.
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.