POCATELLO, Idaho - Idaho State Volleyball and the Big Sky Conference have announced the Bengals' 2026 conference schedule, featuring an 18-match league slate set to begin on Thursday, Sept. 24th.
The 2026 season will bring a new look to Big Sky volleyball, as Southern Utah and Utah Tech return to the conference after departing for the Western Athletic Conference in 2022. And Sacramento State will no longer be part of the Big Sky Conference schedule, with the Hornets departing for the Big West Conference.
The Bengals will open Big Sky play on the road with back-to-back matches at Idaho on Sept. 24th and Eastern Washington on Sept. 26th, before returning to Pocatello for their conference home opener against Northern Arizona on Thursday, Oct. 1st. Idaho State will remain home that week to host Portland State on Saturday, Oct. 3rd.
Following the opening home weekend, the Bengals will hit the road for matches at Southern Utah on Oct. 8th and Utah Tech on Oct. 10th. Idaho State will then return to Reed Gym for a three-match homestand, hosting Weber State on Oct. 13th, Northern Colorado on Oct. 15th, and Montana on Oct. 22nd, before traveling to Bozeman, MT to take on Montana State on the road on Oct 24th.
Idaho State will close October with a pair of road matches at Weber State on Oct. 27th and a rematch of last season's Big Sky Tournament Championship on Halloween at Northern Colorado on Oct. 31st, before beginning November at home against Utah Tech on Nov. 5th and Southern Utah on Nov. 7th.
The Bengals' final road trip of the regular season will take them to Portland State on Nov. 12th and Northern Arizona on Nov. 14th where last season the Bengals and Lumberjacks played in one of the longest sets in NCAA Volleyball history. Idaho State will then close the regular season in Pocatello, hosting Eastern Washington on Nov. 18th and Idaho on Nov. 20th.
The 2026 Big Sky Volleyball Championship is scheduled for Nov. 23rd-25th in Flagstaff, Arizona.
