Money talks rather loudly in the world of NCAA Division I volleyball.
Nebraska — which features six of the 13 players with the highest NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) estimated valuations in the nation — is the overwhelming fan favorite to win the 2025 NCAA Volleyball Tournament, which opens play Thursday and concludes with the championship match on December 21 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
Sixty-four teams are in the field, but Nebraska stands head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to NIL firepower. The Cornhuskers (30-0 overall, 20-0 in the Big Ten) feature perhaps the nation’s top player in Harper Murray, who also ranks No. 1 among the country’s volleyball players in On3’s NIL valuations. The junior outside hitter has deals with Adidas, Advanced Skin and Body Aesthetics, Dove and Premier Window Tinting Ink.
Murray also plays in a fast-growing sport in which attendance at 22 matches across the NCAA topped 10,000 this season — and she plays on a team that has won 60 straight home matches. But Murray won’t be the only Nebraska player poised to cash in when the Cornhuskers open tournament play at home against Long Island University. Teammate Lexi Rodriguez ranks No. 2 on the NIL list.
Nebraska’s NIL Powerhouse Roster Strengthens Their Title Pursuit
And it doesn’t stop there. Nebraska’s Laney Choboy ranks fourth. Maisie Boesiger and Merritt Beason sit at sixth and seventh, respectively, and Bergen Reilly comes in at No. 13.
Nebraska also has a high-profile coach in Dani Busboom Kelly, who has a chance to become only the second female coach ever to lead her team to a national title.
They are all part of the reason Nebraska is the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed. But that doesn’t mean the Huskers won’t face strong competition from a field that includes 31 teams that earned berths by winning their conference tournaments.
Top Challengers Emerge as the Battle for the Title Intensifies
The toughest competition figures to come from Pitt, Texas and Kentucky, all top seeds in their regional brackets. Pitt has plenty of motivation: the Panthers have reached the semifinals each of the last four years but haven’t reached the championship match. This year could be different because Pitt has the reigning national player of the year in Olivia Babcock, who holds several NIL deals, including a lucrative one with Red Bull.
Texas also must be considered a major contender thanks to the arrival of Torrey Stafford, a transfer who played a big role in Pitt’s success in recent years. She has put the Longhorns on her back. Kentucky, which has won nine straight SEC regular-season titles, is also a title threat with one of the nation’s top 1–2 punches in Brooklyn DeLeye and Eva Hudson.
But there are legitimate contenders beyond the top four seeds. Louisville, which lost to Penn State in last year’s national title match, features star Cara Cresse. SMU enters the tournament on a hot streak behind Averi Carlson and Jones. Stanford, owner of an NCAA-best nine national championships, can never be counted out and is led by standout senior Elia Rubin. Arizona State brings a veteran roster and is powered by Noemie Glover, who transferred from Oregon prior to the season.
Of course, long shots always exist. Penn State is the defending national champion, but suffered massive graduation losses after last season. Still, the Nittany Lions have improved dramatically as the season progressed, largely because Florida transfer Kennedy Martin has become an offensive force.
Miami (26–5) is another late riser. The Hurricanes weren’t ranked at the start of the season but are now ranked No. 14. Purdue brings a veteran team and is making its 11th straight tournament appearance. Wisconsin has plenty of offensive firepower, with Charlie Fuerbringer leading the way.
But if you’re looking for the longest of long shots — and a potential Cinderella story — take a look at Campbell and St. Thomas (Minn.). Campbell is the nation’s most improved team after going from six wins last season to 23 this year. St. Thomas, which previously competed at the Division III level, will be making its first Division I tournament appearance in any sport.
Learn More About the NIL Landscape
Name, Image, and Likeness plays an increasing role in college sports, and understanding how it works often requires more than individual articles or news updates.
RallyFuel is a platform focused on NIL-related topics across college athletics. It brings together information about athletes, NIL activity, and the broader structure behind modern college sports, helping readers explore the topic in more depth.
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