Redemption, records and rivalries: Nottingham heads to BUCS Big Wednesday 2026
The top UK University for team sport, the University of Nottingham, are gearing up for a landmark showing at the pinnacle event of the university team sport season this Wednesday.
Published 23 Mar 2026
The Green and Gold head to Loughborough for BUCS Big Wednesday 2026, with an incredible 19 teams qualifying for finals day, one of the strongest representations in the institution’s history.
Even more impressive, 14 of those 19 teams will compete in National Championship finals, underlining Nottingham’s continued dominance at the very top of university team sport.
With thousands of university sport teams taking part in the BUCS leagues every week, only the very best make it through to the BUCS Big Wednesday finals, taking place this week on 25 March.
University of Nottingham Women's Hockey celebrate their 2025 Championship win
Hockey eye historic five-peat
Nottingham Women’s Hockey are on the brink of history as they chase an incredible fifth consecutive national university championship title.
Experience means they head into the final with confidence but standing in their way are league winners and hosts, Loughborough University. With home advantage on Loughborough’s side, this final promises to be a true test of Nottingham’s dynasty.
Table Tennis continue their legacy
The Green and Gold’s most successful club, Table Tennis, are back again at BUCS Big Wednesday demonstrating their depth and dominance across university table tennis.
The Men’s squad, including BUCS singles champion Jonathan Mooney, aim to secure an incredible 11th championship in a row – they face Sheffield Hallam. The Women’s team, featuring singles, doubles and mixed doubles individual BUCS champion Jiaqi Meng are hot favourites to take their 8th title in a row – they start at 12pm in Nottingham’s first Championship final of the day.
In an extraordinary twist, University of Nottingham has already guaranteed gold in the Trophy competition, where the club’s Women’s 2nd and 3rd teams will play each other, highlighting the programme’s unmatched depth.
University of Nottingham Men's tennis celebrate a point on their way to 2025 gold at BUCS Big Wednesday
Champions under pressure
Defending champions, University of Nottingham Men’s Tennis lifted the Championship trophy in 2025 after a 71-year wait. However, retaining their title will be no easy task. They face favourites and league champions, the University of Stirling, setting up one of the most anticipated clashes of the day for head coach Matt Wildt and his team.
Also looking to defend their titles are Women’s Fencing, Women’s Lacrosse and Wheelchair Basketball – the latter perhaps facing the toughest test against home side Loughborough.
Redemption stories on the big stage
Five teams return to finals day with unfinished business.
The University of Nottingham Men's and Women’s football teams both return to their second consecutive Championship final, determined to go one step further after falling just short against St. Andrews and Loughborough in 2025.
This time the Men’s squad face Stirling, and after defeating last year’s champions St. Andrews in a confident 3-1 semi-final performance, Jake Poole’s women’s side will take on Northumbria in the last fixture of the day at 7.45pm.
Alongside them, Men’s Lacrosse are also back to contest for another title, equally motivated to turn last year’s disappointment into gold this time around. They match up against Durham, boosted by a huge 14-1 semi-final win against local rivals and defending champions Nottingham Trent.
In the pool, Men’s Water Polo return to also face Durham, whilst Men’s Badminton match up against home side Loughborough, both hoping to better their silver medal performances of 2025.
Completing the Championship line up are Men’s Volleyball, returning to the BUCS Big Wednesday finals after a year away. With experience now on their side, they will be looking to go one better than their 2024 silver medal performance, this time facing Newcastle.
This is a truly exceptional moment for sport at the University of Nottingham. To have 19 teams reach BUCS Big Wednesday speaks volumes about the strength, depth and consistency of our programme. What stands out is not just the scale of our representation, but the drive and resilience behind it, from teams chasing historic achievements to those returning with real determination to go one step further. We are incredibly proud of every student representing the Green and Gold, and we look forward to seeing them rise to the occasion on the biggest stage of university sport.
Alex Perry
Assistant Director of Sport - Performance
A defining day ahead
With 19 teams, 14 Championship finals, and a wealth of stories unfolding, BUCS Big Wednesday 2026 is set to be a defining moment for sport at the University of Nottingham.
From title defences to historic milestones, the Green and Gold will be out in force, ready to make their mark once again on the biggest stage in university sport.
For the full schedule of the day, including the Road to Championship and Trophy for all of our finalists, please click here.
Limited spectator tickets remain on sale for the event, to purchase please click here.
Selected games; Tennis, Badminton, Fencing, Lacrosse, Hockey, Wheelchair Basketball. Water Polo, Volleyball and Football; will also be streamed live on the BUCS You Tube channel.
Alternatively, you can stay up-to-date with all the latest results by following University of Nottingham Sport socials.
For more information on our Performance sport programme at the University of Nottingham, please click here.
For all media enquiries, please contact Mark Bullock, Sports Marketing and Communications Manager, at mark.bullock@nottingham.ac.uk.