The highly anticipated women’s college volleyball match between No. 1 Nebraska and Missouri at Wrigley Field was suspended during the first set on Sunday night, September 6, 2026, due to excessive moisture on the outdoor playing surface. The event was part of the Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge Week hosted at the iconic home of the Chicago Cubs. High humidity levels pushing past 80 percent on a 72-degree night caused severe condensation on the TeraFlex floor laid out in the outfield, making the court hazardous as players began slipping.
Wrigley Field Volleyball Match Suspended Due to Humidity and Slick Court Conditions
Action was halted early in the opening set. Players, coaches, staff, and grounds crew scrambled to dry the surface using towels, battery-powered blowers, and even by ripping up center court logos and floor decals to improve traction. Despite more than an hour of delays and Nebraska holding an 11-7 lead, officials ultimately decided to suspend the contest. According to a statement from the Big Ten, rescheduling the remainder of the match at Wrigley Field is not possible, and a decision on whether and where the game will continue will be announced at a later date.
Record-Setting Attendance and Impromptu Fan Entertainment
Despite the abrupt end to the nightcap, a sellout crowd of 43,067 fans filled the ballpark. The attendance marked the second-most attended women’s volleyball event in league history, driven largely by Nebraska’s dedicated fan base. While waiting out the weather delays, players from both teams kept the crowd entertained by starting a dance battle, doing the “Cupid Shuffle” together, and leading an a cappella singalong of Kelly Clarkson’s Since U Been Gone,
spearheaded by Nebraska’s Andi Jackson.
Following the suspension, Nebraska’s senior players addressed the crowd to express gratitude. Setter Bergen Reilly apologized to fans for the cut-short competition, while teammate Andi Jackson thanked supporters for backing women’s sports. Nebraska coach Dani Busboom Kelly expressed appreciation for the monumental effort by the Big Ten, SEC, and the Cubs organization to pull off the outdoor event, though she candidly remarked that outdoor play may not be suitable for the sport.
Historic Doubleheader Kicked Off by Kentucky and Penn State
The suspended nightcap followed a successful opening match earlier in the evening, which marked the first volleyball games ever played at Wrigley Field. In that matchup, No. 3 Kentucky defeated No. 13 Penn State 3-1, escaping the worsening humidity before the court became unplayable. The idea for the historic Wrigley Field event was originally conceived in January 2025 during discussions between Cubs president Crane Kenney and the Big Ten commissioner.
The logistics behind the event involved extensive collaboration between the Big Ten and SEC to feature three former national-championship programs alongside Missouri. Prep work began immediately following a Cubs homestand on Thursday, with court construction taking most of Friday. While the weather held up for the opening match, the evening humidity ultimately proved insurmountable for the Nebraska-Missouri finale.
Worth a look