Not that the Iowa team has a chance in hell of making it there:
Omaha will host the entire 48-team NCAA women's volleyball tournament this spring.
The Division I Competition Oversight Committee approved Wednesday consolidating the tournament to one location, with all games to be played at the CHI Health Center arena and convention center.
Omaha had already been selected to host the Final Four of the volleyball tournament. The NCAA cited "unique circumstances brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic" in its announcement to bring all 48 teams to Omaha. The tournament will take place April 13-24.
"It's really cool," Nebraska setter Nicklin Hames said. "I hope that there are fans because Nebraska has the best fans in the country. Any game here, for any team, honestly, there would be a lot of fans. It means a lot to this state, to the university and to us that we get to host the entire tournament."
The NCAA is yet to announce any plans for fan attendance at the tournament.
First-round matches will be played April 13 and second-round matches on April 14. The regional semifinals will be on April 17 and the regional finals on April 19. The national semifinals are set for April 22 and the national championship match on April 24.
"I think it will be a test for a lot of teams because that's really challenging to have it all in two weeks," Hames said. "You have to be really good and be able to move on to the next game and be prepared."
Omaha could expect to see some local teams in the tournament. Nebraska (No. 4) and Creighton (No. 19) are both nationally ranked, and UNO will compete for an automatic bid that goes to the winner of the Summit League.
Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority spokeswoman Kristyna Engdahl told The World-Herald last month that MECA and NCAA officials had discussed the possibility of Omaha hosting more than the Final Four.
MECA oversees the CHI Health Center, the city’s convention center and arena.
The NCAA has taken steps to hold several of its national championship tournaments in one location because of the ongoing pandemic. The NCAA men's basketball tournament is set to be held in the Indianapolis area. The women's basketball tournament is going to be held in San Antonio, Texas. The NCAA also announced Wednesday the locations for the bowling (Kansas City, Missouri) and women's hockey (Erie, Pennsylvania) tournaments.
Omaha has hosted the volleyball Final Four three times, the last time in 2015 when Nebraska won the national title. The city is also experienced with hosting other major sporting events, including the College World Series and U.S. Olympic Swim Trials.
But the pandemic wiped out much of that in 2020. The CWS was canceled entirely last year, and the Swim Trials were postponed to 2021. Omaha was also supposed to host the first two rounds of the NCAA men's basketball tournament before that was canceled.
This year's volleyball tournament will kick off a busy spring and summer of sporting events in Omaha. College baseball season is on track to start as scheduled, which would bring the CWS back to TD Ameritrade Park. The Swim Trials will also return to the CHI Health Center, as the Summer Olympics are still expected to be held in Tokyo.
Omaha has experience with this "bubble" concept for sporting events. The National Collegiate Hockey Conference conducted roughly a month of games at Baxter Arena, during which no players tested positive for COVID-19.
omaha.com
Omaha will host the entire 48-team NCAA women's volleyball tournament this spring.
The Division I Competition Oversight Committee approved Wednesday consolidating the tournament to one location, with all games to be played at the CHI Health Center arena and convention center.
Omaha had already been selected to host the Final Four of the volleyball tournament. The NCAA cited "unique circumstances brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic" in its announcement to bring all 48 teams to Omaha. The tournament will take place April 13-24.
"It's really cool," Nebraska setter Nicklin Hames said. "I hope that there are fans because Nebraska has the best fans in the country. Any game here, for any team, honestly, there would be a lot of fans. It means a lot to this state, to the university and to us that we get to host the entire tournament."
The NCAA is yet to announce any plans for fan attendance at the tournament.
First-round matches will be played April 13 and second-round matches on April 14. The regional semifinals will be on April 17 and the regional finals on April 19. The national semifinals are set for April 22 and the national championship match on April 24.
"I think it will be a test for a lot of teams because that's really challenging to have it all in two weeks," Hames said. "You have to be really good and be able to move on to the next game and be prepared."
Omaha could expect to see some local teams in the tournament. Nebraska (No. 4) and Creighton (No. 19) are both nationally ranked, and UNO will compete for an automatic bid that goes to the winner of the Summit League.
Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority spokeswoman Kristyna Engdahl told The World-Herald last month that MECA and NCAA officials had discussed the possibility of Omaha hosting more than the Final Four.
MECA oversees the CHI Health Center, the city’s convention center and arena.
The NCAA has taken steps to hold several of its national championship tournaments in one location because of the ongoing pandemic. The NCAA men's basketball tournament is set to be held in the Indianapolis area. The women's basketball tournament is going to be held in San Antonio, Texas. The NCAA also announced Wednesday the locations for the bowling (Kansas City, Missouri) and women's hockey (Erie, Pennsylvania) tournaments.
Omaha has hosted the volleyball Final Four three times, the last time in 2015 when Nebraska won the national title. The city is also experienced with hosting other major sporting events, including the College World Series and U.S. Olympic Swim Trials.
But the pandemic wiped out much of that in 2020. The CWS was canceled entirely last year, and the Swim Trials were postponed to 2021. Omaha was also supposed to host the first two rounds of the NCAA men's basketball tournament before that was canceled.
This year's volleyball tournament will kick off a busy spring and summer of sporting events in Omaha. College baseball season is on track to start as scheduled, which would bring the CWS back to TD Ameritrade Park. The Swim Trials will also return to the CHI Health Center, as the Summer Olympics are still expected to be held in Tokyo.
Omaha has experience with this "bubble" concept for sporting events. The National Collegiate Hockey Conference conducted roughly a month of games at Baxter Arena, during which no players tested positive for COVID-19.
Omaha will host entire NCAA volleyball tournament
Omaha is set to host the entire 48-team NCAA women's volleyball tournament in April at the CHI Health Center.
