Sun Belt Volleyball Championship Heads to Foley for Sixth Straight Year

OBA Staff • November 19, 2025

Ten league teams will compete in a nine-match bracket with every contest airing on ESPN Plus

Photo Courtesy of the Sun Belt Conference

Foley, Ala. — (OBA) — The Sun Belt Conference is bringing its volleyball championship back to Foley, Alabama, and preparations are nearly complete. Ten of the league’s top teams will gather to compete for the 2025 conference title. Fans are being urged to secure their seats as tickets are selling quickly. 


This year’s Sun Belt Volleyball Tournament will run from November 20 to November 23. All matches will be played at the Foley Events Center, part of the Foley Sports Tourism Complex. The event continues a growing tradition in the city, which has become a regular host for the league.


The 2025 tournament will mark the sixth consecutive year that the Sun Belt Championship has taken place in Foley. Each of the nine matches on the schedule will be broadcast live on ESPN+, giving fans who cannot travel a chance to follow every point. Tournament officials expect strong crowds both in person and online.


Tickets are on sale through the Foley Sports Tourism Box Office website. Admission is sold on a per-day basis rather than for the entire tournament. Adult tickets cost eleven dollars per day, while tickets for children ages twelve and under are six dollars per day. Students from Sun Belt Conference institutions are admitted free when they present a valid student ID at the gate.


The 2025 bracket was set using winning percentage against divisional opponents only. That system placed teams based on how they performed within their own East or West division. The top three seeds in both divisions receive automatic byes straight into the quarterfinal round. Lower-seeded teams must battle through the opening day to keep their seasons alive.


James Madison enters the tournament as the top seed in the Sun Belt East Division. The Dukes captured their second Sun Belt regular season championship by finishing league play with a 13-3 record. Overall, they posted a 20-8 mark during the season. James Madison also dominated divisional competition, going 11-1 against East foes.


On the West side, Arkansas State secured the number one seed. The Red Wolves went 12-4 against Sun Belt opponents during the regular season. Within the division, they recorded a 9-3 mark to claim the top West position. Arkansas State arrives in Foley with a 19-8 overall record and the confidence of a strong campaign.


Action begins on Thursday, November 20, with a pair of first-round matchups. At 1:30 p.m. CT, fourth seeded Georgia State from the East faces fifth-seeded Southern Miss from the West in Match 1. Later that afternoon, at 4:30 p.m. CT, fourth-seeded Troy from the West meets fifth-seeded Marshall from the East in Match 2. Both contests will air on ESPN+.


Quarterfinal play is set for Friday, November 21, and features four matches. The day opens at 11:00 a.m. CT with Match 3, as East number two seed Coastal Carolina takes on West number three seed Texas State. Match 4 follows at 1:30 p.m. CT, with top West seed Arkansas State meeting the winner of Match 1. At 4:30 p.m. CT in Match 5, top East seed James Madison faces the winner of Match 2. The night session closes with Match 6 at 7:00 p.m. CT, when West number two seed South Alabama meets East number three-seed Georgia Southern.


Semifinal Saturday on November 22 will decide which teams play for the title. Match 7 begins at 2:00 p.m. CT and features the winners of Match 3 and Match 4. Match 8 is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. CT, pairing the winners of Match 5 and Match 6. As with earlier rounds, both semifinals will be shown on ESPN+.


The championship match is slated for Sunday, November 23, at 4:00 p.m. CT. Match 9 will pit the winner of Match 7 against the winner of Match 8. The victor will claim the 2025 Sun Belt Volleyball Tournament crown and the conference’s postseason glory. Tournament officials expect a high-intensity final to close out four days of play.


Local organizers in Foley say the event offers fans a chance to get a close look at top college volleyball. With tickets priced by the day, spectators can choose specific rounds or follow the entire tournament. For many, the combination of live action at the Foley Events Center and full coverage on ESPN+ makes this year’s championship an easy event to follow.


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