- 11 consecutive weeks of fall programming begin with the Paradise Invitational on September 13, expanding the marquee Sunday franchise on ESPN
- WNBA, MVPW boxing, WTGL and women’s college basketball to enhance the slate
ESPN is extending its marquee women’s sports summer franchise, Women’s Sports Sundays, into Fall 2026. Building on the inaugural franchise of matchups across the WNBA, NWSL and AUSL, the fall season will add 10 college volleyball and five NWSL matches, in addition to women’s college basketball, WTGL and MVPW boxing, further elevating premium women’s sports matchups across the ESPN portfolio.
Beginning Sunday, Sept. 13, 11 consecutive weeks of women’s sports programming will air live on ESPN and the ESPN App with an applicable ESPN subscription. Social coverage will be led by espnW, the leading women’s sports and culture brand on social media, generating more total engagements and reaching more followers than any other brand in the space.
“Following this summer’s inaugural run of Women’s Sports Sundays, we are excited to continue building this franchise through a tremendous amount of collaboration and intentionality,” said Susie Piotrkowski, ESPN Vice President, Women’s Sports Programming & espnW. “Women’s Sports Sundays is a unique, growing franchise that showcases the full power of our women’s sports portfolio. With this expansion we are continuing to do what we do best – serving both established and new women’s sports fans anytime, anywhere.”
College volleyball will anchor upcoming Women’s Sports Sundays programming, beginning with the championship round of the 2026 Paradise Invitational on Sept. 13, live on ESPN. Later that evening, UCLA will take on Utah. Throughout the season, several top 10 matchups between NCAA powerhouses make up the Women’s Sports Sundays slate, including #3 Kentucky at #10 Florida on Oct. 4, #10 Florida at #9 Texas on Oct. 18, and #5 Louisville at #2 Pitt on Nov. 15. The NCAA Volleyball Selection Special rounds out the announced slate of Women’s Sports Sundays for 2026.
The NWSL’s most pivotal stretch of the regular season will also feature in the franchise, kicking off with Chicago Stars vs. Washington Spirit on Sept. 20, followed by two Bay FC hosted matchups against Orlando Pride (Sept. 27) and Portland Thorns FC (Oct. 18). Then the Washington Spirit road trip to face Kansas City Current on Oct. 25 before wrapping with ESPN’s highly anticipated NWSL Decision Day coverage on Nov. 1, covering all eight matches for the first time in league history.
Highlighting this season’s jam-packed Women’s Sports Sundays calendar, Oct. 11 will feature a special edition full day of competition with expanded digital coverage. Setting up the day, ESPN will have a college volleyball doubleheader, with #4 Stanford at #5 Louisville at 1 p.m. ET and #2 Pitt at. #8 SMU at 3 p.m. Adding to the action, game four of the WNBA Playoff semifinals will take place at 2 or 4 p.m., if necessary.
Additionally, Women’s Sports Sundays will bring championship stakes to the ring on Nov. 8 with the MVPW title fight between Elif Turhan vs. Alycia Baumgardner. The franchise will also spotlight coverage of Women’s College Basketball and WTGL, with details to be announced.
Since its launch this summer, Women’s Sports Sundays has featured some of the most compelling competition in women’s sports, generating strong audiences across the WNBA, NWSL and AUSL. Several telecasts delivered substantial audience growth compared to prior season averages, underscoring the continued momentum surrounding women’s sports and fan interest across ESPN platforms. This fall, Women’s Sports Sundays’ expansion will aim to create an even broader destination for fans every Sunday.
| Date | Time | Matchup / Event | Network |
| Sun., Sep 13 | 5 p.m. | College Volleyball – Paradise Invitational: Winner vs. Winner | ESPN |
| Sun., Sep 13 | 8 p.m. | College Volleyball: UCLA at Utah | ESPN |
| Sun., Sep 20 | 5 p.m. | NWSL: Chicago Stars vs. Washington Spirit | ESPN |
| Sun., Sep 27 | 5 p.m. | NWSL: Bay FC vs. Orlando Pride | ESPN |
| Sun., Sep 27 | 8:30 p.m. | College Volleyball: Stanford at Pitt | ESPN |
| Sun., Oct 4 | 5 p.m. | College Volleyball: Iowa State at Arizona State | ESPN |
| Sun., Oct 4 | 8:30 p.m. | College Volleyball: Kentucky at Florida | ESPN |
| Sun., Oct 11 | 1 p.m. | College Volleyball: Stanford at Louisville | ESPN |
| Sun., Oct 11 | 3 p.m. | College Volleyball: Pitt at SMU | ESPN |
| Sun., Oct 11 | 2 or 4 p.m. | WNBA Playoffs: Semifinal, Game 4 (if necessary) | ABC |
| Sun., Oct 18 | 5 p.m. | NWSL: Bay FC vs. Portland Thorns FC | ESPN |
| Sun., Oct 18 | 8:30 p.m. | College Volleyball: Florida at Texas | ESPN |
| Sun., Oct 25 | 5 p.m. | NWSL: Kansas City vs. Washington | ESPN |
| Sun., Oct 25 | 8:30 p.m. | College Volleyball: Stanford at North Carolina | ESPN |
| Sun., Nov 1 | 5 p.m. | NWSL: Decision Day | ESPN |
| Sun., Nov 8 | 8:30 p.m. | MVPW-07: Turhan vs. Baumgardner | ESPN |
| Sun., Nov 15 | 8:30 p.m. | College Volleyball: Louisville at Pitt | ESPN |
| Sun., Nov 29 | 6 p.m. | NCAA Volleyball Selection Special | ESPN |
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