Spikes Under
the Lights Nebraska vs Florida
Nebraska volleyball opens its 2026 season inside the home of the Dallas Cowboys. The Huskers face Florida in the first semifinal of Spikes Under the Lights — the first women's college sporting event ever staged at AT&T Stadium, with $1 million on the line.
Below: confirmed start times, the full night's bracket, TV details, ticket info, and what makes this exhibition unlike anything else on the Nebraska volleyball schedule.
Countdown to First Serve
Nebraska and Florida open the night at 7:00 p.m. Central on Thursday, August 27.
The Spikes Under the Lights Bracket
Two semifinals, one final, all best-of-three sets inside a three-hour broadcast window.
Winner vs Winner
The two semifinal winners meet later the same night for the title — and the extra prize money.
What Makes This Night Different
Spikes Under the Lights isn't a tournament stop or a conference showcase. It's a made-for-TV exhibition built from scratch by Full Day Productions and GSE Worldwide, and it puts four of the sport's biggest programs inside an NFL stadium in primetime.
The historical piece matters too: this is the first women's college sporting event ever held at AT&T Stadium, and one of the first women's sporting events of any kind staged in an NFL venue. AT&T Stadium seats roughly 80,000 with a scalable configuration that can push toward 100,000, though organizers are setting it up to serve both the in-stadium crowd and the broadcast.
The $1 million prize pool is the largest ever awarded in women's college sports. Split evenly as appearance fees with a bonus for the winner, it's a real financial event as much as a competitive one.
One thing worth knowing before you set expectations: because it's an exhibition, results here don't count toward official records or the RPI. Nebraska's official season opener comes two days later against UNLV in Las Vegas.
Three Things to Watch
What this exhibition actually tells us before the real season starts.
A First Look at the 2026 Huskers
Nebraska went 33–1 in 2025 and reached the NCAA Regional Final. This is the first live look at how head coach Dani Busboom Kelly's rotation shakes out — lineups, serve-receive pairings, and who's earned front-row minutes.
Best-of-Three Changes Everything
There's no room to feel your way into a match. In a two-set-to-win format, an early serving run or a shaky passing stretch can decide it before either team settles.
A Possible Nebraska–Penn State Final
If Nebraska beats Florida and Penn State handles SMU, the night ends with two of the sport's most decorated programs — five titles and eight titles — playing for $200,000 in August.
How to Watch Nebraska vs Florida
TNT Sports holds the broadcast rights to Spikes Under the Lights, so the full three-hour primetime block — both semifinals and the championship — airs on TNT starting at 7 p.m. Central.
If you get TNT through cable or satellite, you're set. Cord-cutters can find TNT on most major live TV streaming services, and TNT programming is also typically available through HBO Max's live sports offering, though you should confirm your specific plan includes it before match night.
The broadcast is produced by Full Day Productions and GSE Worldwide, the same groups behind the event itself, with enhanced production elements built for the stadium setting.
- TV channel: TNT
- Start: 7:00 p.m. CDT / 8:00 p.m. EDT / 5:00 p.m. PDT
- Coverage: All three matches in one continuous window
- Radio: Check the Huskers Radio Network for exhibition coverage plans
Venue Guide: AT&T Stadium
AT&T Stadium sits at 1 AT&T Way in Arlington, Texas, between Dallas and Fort Worth. It's the home of the Dallas Cowboys and one of the most recognizable buildings in American sports — retractable roof, enormous center-hung video board, and a floor big enough to reconfigure for almost anything.
For volleyball, expect a scaled seating configuration rather than the full football bowl. That usually means the closest sections sell first and sightlines stay strong across the lower level.
If you're traveling in, Arlington has no rail service, so plan on driving or a rideshare. Stadium lots open ahead of most events and are the simplest option, but they fill fast for high-demand nights — arriving early is worth it.
Check AT&T Stadium's official event page for the current clear bag policy and gate times before you head out. Those rules are enforced strictly and can change from event to event.
Who Else Is Playing
Four programs, four fan bases, one stadium.
Cornhuskers
Five-time national champions and the sport's attendance standard-bearer. Nebraska went 33–1 last season and drew the most-watched Regional Final in the sport's history.
Gators
Nebraska's semifinal opponent brings SEC athleticism and a program with a long history of national relevance — a genuinely useful early test for the Huskers.
The Other Semifinal
Eight-time national champion Penn State faces SMU at 8 p.m. CT. SMU plays the near-home-crowd role, with its campus about 20 miles from AT&T Stadium.
Spikes Under the Lights Tickets
Tickets went on sale in May 2026, with a Huskers Athletic Fund member pre-sale on May 8 followed by a public on-sale the same day. Nebraska's ticket allotment was sold through Huskers.com with a six-ticket limit per account, and general event tickets are available through the official Spikes Under the Lights ticketing site and SeatGeek.
Spikes Under the Lights FAQ
Date, time, TV channel, format, tickets, and what the results actually count for.