Big Ten Standings 2026
Big Ten play opened this week, and Nebraska is one of five teams that won its conference opener. The Huskers beat Rutgers 3-0 on Sept. 25 to move to 1-0 in the Big Ten and 12-0 overall, with a second conference match at home against Ohio State on Sept. 26.
This page separates conference position from the overall record. Nebraska's non-conference victories count toward its overall mark but not its Big Ten standings record, which now reflects real results instead of preseason projections.
Last updated 26 Sep 2026 · Conference play began 24 Sep
Where Nebraska stands right now
Nebraska carried its unbeaten overall record into its Big Ten opener and kept it intact.
2026 Big Ten volleyball standings
Conference play opened Thursday, Sept. 24, and continues through the weekend. Five teams won their conference opener, five lost, and eight had not yet played their first Big Ten match as of this update, including Ohio State, which visits Nebraska Saturday night.
| # | Team | Conf W-L | Conf Pct. | Overall | Streak | Preseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nebraska | 1-0 | 1.000 | 12-0 | W12 | #1 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 1-0 | 1.000 | — | — | #2 |
| 3 | Purdue | 1-0 | 1.000 | — | W6 | #4 |
| 4 | Indiana | 1-0 | 1.000 | 8-2 | W6 | #6 |
| 5 | Illinois | 1-0 | 1.000 | 9-3 | W5 | #10 |
| 6* | Penn State | 0-0 | — | — | — | #3 |
| 6* | USC | 0-0 | — | — | — | #7 |
| 6* | Michigan | 0-0 | — | — | — | #11 |
| 6* | Michigan State | 0-0 | — | 10-0 | W10 | #12 |
| 6* | Washington | 0-0 | — | 9-0 | W9 | #13 |
| 6* | Northwestern | 0-0 | — | — | — | #14 |
| 6* | Iowa | 0-0 | — | 11-3 | — | #15 |
| 6* | Ohio State | 0-0 | — | — | — | #16 |
| 14 | Minnesota | 0-1 | .000 | 6-3 | — | #5 |
| 15 | Oregon | 0-1 | .000 | — | — | #8 |
| 16 | UCLA | 0-1 | .000 | 9-3 | — | #9 |
| 17 | Rutgers | 0-1 | .000 | 9-4 | — | #17 |
| 18 | Maryland | 0-1 | .000 | 10-2 | — | #18 |
Nebraska opens as the team to beat — and backs it up
The conference standings are no longer blank, and Nebraska's first result kept it at the top.
Nebraska began the season at the top of the Big Ten's preseason hierarchy, selected unanimously to repeat as conference champion. The Huskers backed that up by opening Big Ten play with a 3-0 win over Rutgers on Sept. 25, one of five conference-opener victories across the league that night and the following day.
That win is Nebraska's first data point in the real standings, separate from its 12-0 overall record built against non-conference opponents. Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana and Illinois also won their conference openers, while Minnesota, Oregon, UCLA, Rutgers and Maryland each dropped theirs.
The next standings test
Nebraska plays a second conference match in the same week, hosting Ohio State on Sept. 26. A win would make the Huskers 2-0 in league play heading into October.
The league is using a single round-robin format in 2026. Each of the 18 Big Ten programs plays 17 conference matches, with the regular season ending November 17 before the first Big Ten Volleyball Tournament.
How the standings will develop
The 2026 Big Ten race started this week and has a new postseason structure.
The first Big Ten matches were played Thursday night, officially turning the conference table from preseason projections into real standings.
The conference regular season concludes, giving the league its 2026 regular-season champion.
The inaugural 15-team Big Ten Volleyball Tournament takes place in Fishers, Indiana, with the tournament champion earning the league's automatic NCAA bid.
What the numbers mean
Conference standings and overall standings answer different questions.
Conference W-L is the number that matters most now that Big Ten play has begun. A 10-2 conference record means a team won ten of its league matches and lost two.
Conference percentage is calculated from that league record. Early in the season, a team can have a perfect overall record while still sitting at 0-0 in conference play if it simply hasn't played its opener yet.
Overall record includes both conference and non-conference matches. It is therefore possible for Nebraska to be 12-0 overall and only 1-0 in the Big Ten at the same time.
The 2026 season also introduces an important distinction: the Big Ten will crown a regular- season champion and then hold its first conference tournament. The tournament winner becomes the league's automatic qualifier for the NCAA Tournament.
Nebraska volleyball standings FAQ
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Standings sources
Conference structure, Nebraska's current record and league-wide opening results are checked against official sources.
Independent fan-run resource. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or operated by the University of Nebraska, the Big Ten Conference, the AVCA or the NCAA. Some overall records for other Big Ten programs were not independently confirmed as of this update and are shown as a dash rather than estimated. When more matches are completed, the conference record becomes the primary basis for this table.