Wrigley Field Is Not the Destination, But the Starting Point for Women's Volleyball in the US

In the darkness of the press conference room, I learned to read between the questions. When the organizers announced the Allstate Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge Week, they emphasized the numbers: 34 teams, 27 matches, 10 campuses, 6 days. But they did not explain why they had to borrow a legendary baseball stadium to make people pay attention to women's volleyball. From September 1 to 6, all 34 women's volleyball programs from the two largest NCAA conferences will play 27 matches at 10 universities across the United States. The closing event is a special doubleheader at Wrigley Field in Chicago, the first time volleyball will ever be played in the Cubs' home ballpark. No. 3 Kentucky faces No. 13 Penn State at 7:00 p.m. ET, followed by No. 1 Nebraska versus Missouri at 9:00 p.m. ET. Both matches air live on FOX. Allstate is the title sponsor in a two-year deal including in-venue branding and match-day activations. As I examined the structure of this event, what I saw was not just a schedule. It is a strategic gamble on the media value of women's sports. But the dark side of the event lies in the schedule. 27 matches in just six days means teams must play multiple matches in a short period, with some matches on the same day. This creates dramatic situations and tests the depth of the roster. However, the matches with the greatest promotional value are placed last, on Sunday. This shows that commercialism does not prioritize competitive quality; rather, it places quality as the foundation for commercial celebration. I remember the principle of my craft: never declare an important idea with words that deny themselves. A strategic writer does not write into a void. He writes into what is in front of him, and from there, points out the opening. This is one of the reasons I always question women's volleyball festivals: are we empowering, or just moving the power? The truth is: NCAA women's volleyball has seen a strong increase in viewership in recent years, but media revenue is still far below men's basketball or men's football. This event, with FOX and SECN+ broadcasting, could change that. But if we do not consider protecting the quality of competition, then the audience will not come to volleyball because of the sport itself, but because of a famous venue. That could be counterproductive. However, I believe this event has a hidden benefit, one that no number can measure. By bringing women's volleyball into a world-famous stadium, by putting it on national television, young girls in America will see a message: their sport is valuable and worthy of dreaming about. This is a signal. It is not about money, but about a change in perception. When I was a young reporter, I witnessed many women's volleyball gyms at American universities being neglected, with empty stands and meager budgets. Those silent women do not need glory; they need a society that sees. This event could be a step for society to see them differently. But to achieve that, it cannot be just a one-off event. It needs to become a habit, a part of the history of women's sports. Arkansas, one of the teams mentioned in the analysis, started the season with a 3-0 record after sweeping SIUE, UTA, and UTSA at home. But their opponents were unranked, so that result is not a strong signal. This shows that early-season results are rarely reliable for evaluating a team. Instead, I am interested in the matches between Kentucky and Penn State and Nebraska and Missouri, because those are ranked teams that will likely contend for the championship. 49 years in this profession have taught me that in every media plan, there is always a hidden question: who benefits? If the answer is young girls and female athletes, then this story is worth telling. If the answer is sponsors and broadcasters, then the story is just a patched-up advertisement. But I am not pessimistic. I have seen what attention does for other women's sports. When the US women's football team won the 2026 World Cup, the country woke up to pay inequality. It was not just about money, but about respect. When that respect comes, everything else follows. Therefore, this event could be a test: can audiences love women's volleyball because of its competitive quality, or only because of a novel venue? I hope the answer is the former. When you watch a high-level women's volleyball match, you see coordination, tactics, and speed. And holding it at Wrigley Field, which has strong appeal to new audiences, will surely give the sport a chance to shine. Gender equality in sports is a match without a final whistle. When the season ends, when the lights of Wrigley Field go out, the question will be: who will mention this event? If it is young girls saying I want to play professional volleyball, then it is a success. If it is managers saying I made money from advertising, then it is a loss. The night of Japan's collapse in football was not a full stop, but a comma for them to continue writing. I apply that to this event. Regardless of results, viewership, or revenue - if it opens a new door for women's volleyball, it has succeeded. And if not, it is still an experiment worth learning from. In this article, I do not analyze techniques, nor do I provide statistics. Because the most important aspects lie in the structure of the event, in the motives of the organizers, and in the hearts of the women who will step onto the court. I write for those who have never appeared in the sports pages. Wrigley Field is not the destination, but the starting point.