This study assessed infrastructure readiness and volleyball development in Nigeria through a comparative analysis of premier and grassroots volleyball programmes. A comparative cross sectional survey design was adopted. The population comprised administrators, coaches, athletes, referees, and technical officials involved in premier and grassroots volleyball programmes in Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select respondents. Data were collected using the Infrastructure Readiness and Volleyball Development Questionnaire (IRVDQ), which was validated by experts, while reliability was established using Cronbach’s Alpha. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) answered the research questions, whereas an independent samples t-test and simple linear regression tested the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that infrastructure readiness in premier and grassroots volleyball programmes was moderate to high (Grand Mean = 3.11), although weaknesses existed in facility maintenance and medical support services. A significant difference was found between premier and grassroots programmes, with premier programmes demonstrating better infrastructure readiness. Infrastructure readiness also significantly influenced volleyball development, accounting for 52.4% of the variation in development (R² = 0.524), while the regression coefficient (β = 0.724) indicated that improved infrastructure would enhance talent identification, athlete participation, competitive performance, and programme sustainability. The study concluded that infrastructure readiness is a critical determinant of volleyball development in Nigeria despite disparities between programme levels. It recommended increased investment in volleyball infrastructure, equitable distribution of facilities, and sustainable maintenance and athlete support systems to promote long-term volleyball development.