Pro Volleyball Federation
Current season, competition or edition: 2025 PVF season | |
Sport | Volleyball |
---|---|
First season | 2024 |
Commissioner | Jen Spicher |
No. of teams | 8 |
Country | United States |
Broadcasting | CBS Sports Network; YouTube |
Most recent champion(s) | Omaha Supernovas (2024) |
Most titles | Omaha Supernovas (1 title) |
The Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) is a women's professional indoor volleyball league in the United States. The league was announced on November 17, 2022 and began play in 2024.[1]
History
[edit]The Pro Volleyball Federation was announced in November 2022 as a new professional women's league that focused on giving American players access to high level volleyball at home while also making a livable wage.[2] The founders of the league include Super Bowl winning quarterback Trent Dilfer along with volleyball pioneers Cecile Reynaud and Laurie Corbelli.[3] The league was initially expected to include 10 teams but the league would lower the number to 8 in later reports. The first franchise was awarded to a group that will bring a team to Grand Rapids, Michigan. In February 2023, it was announced that singer-songwriter Jason Derulo would team up to own a team that will be based out of Omaha, Nebraska.[4] Atlanta, Georgia was then announced as the second market, followed by Columbus, Ohio.[5][6] The first 2025 franchise was awarded to a group led by Armand Sadoughi in July 2023 that will bring a team to Dallas, Texas.[7]
The league debuted with a match between the Atlanta Vibe and Omaha Supernovas on January 24, 2024, which set a record for attendance at a women's professional volleyball match in the United States of 11,624.[8] Omaha would set a new attendance record a few week later when 12,090 fans saw the Supernovas win in four sets over the Orlando Valkryries.
The Omaha Supernovas became the first-ever Pro Volleyball Federation Champions after sweeping the Grand Rapids Rise on May 18, 2024 at the CHI Health Center in downtown Omaha in front of 10,678 fans.[9]
“Sports fans were watching these amazing athletes, as our League posted overall attendance just under 400,000 fans with 3.9 million viewers streaming matches on YouTube,” touted Jen Spicher, CEO of the Pro Volleyball Federation. “Our players were also compensated for their talents, with a minimum salary of at least $60,000 for the season. Some earned as much as $125,000 and several secured bonus money as well.”
“Pro Volleyball Federation successfully attracted some of the world’s best indoor volleyball players,” noted Dr. Cecille Reynaud, Vice President, Volleyball Operations. “This season we had over 110 players that hailed from 10 different countries. Seven that were part of our rosters are now training with their respective national teams in the United States, Canada and Dominican Republic.”[10]
Teams
[edit]Current
[edit]Team | Location | Venue | Capacity | Joined |
---|---|---|---|---|
Atlanta Vibe | Duluth, Georgia | Gas South Arena | 12,750 | 2024 |
Columbus Fury | Columbus, Ohio | Nationwide Arena | 19,500 | 2024 |
Grand Rapids Rise | Grand Rapids, Michigan | Van Andel Arena | 11,500 | 2024 |
Indy Ignite | Fishers, Indiana | Fishers Event Center | 6,500 | 2025 |
Omaha Supernovas | Omaha, Nebraska | CHI Health Center Omaha | 18,320 | 2024 |
Orlando Valkyries | Orlando, Florida | Addition Financial Arena | 9,432 | 2024 |
San Diego Mojo | San Diego, California | Viejas Arena | 12,414 | 2024 |
Vegas Thrill | Henderson, Nevada | Lee's Family Forum | 6,019 | 2024 |
Future
[edit]Team | Location | Venue | Capacity | Joining |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dallas Pro Volleyball | Dallas, Texas | TBD | TBD | 2026 |
Kansas City Pro Volleyball | Kansas City, Missouri | TBD | TBD | 2026 |
Championships
[edit]The Omaha Supernovas have the most championships, with 1 PVF Finals win.
Teams | Win | Loss | Total | Year(s) won | Year(s) runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Omaha Supernovas | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2024 | — |
Grand Rapids Rise | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 2024 |
Broadcasting
[edit]Since 2024, CBS Sports is the primary broadcaster for the Pro Volleyball Federation, airing 10 matches per season along with the semifinals and championship match of Pro Volleyball Federation’s championship weekend.[11] Matches primarily air on CBS Sports Network but CBS Sports has the option to air matches on the CBS broadcast network.[12] Beginning 2025, Fox Sports will also be a broadcast partner. Four matches will air on Fox Sports 1, while nine will air on Fox Sports 2.[13]
See also
[edit]- National Volleyball Association
- Athletes Unlimited Volleyball (AUV)
- Volleyball in the United States
- International Volleyball Association
References
[edit]- ^ "Pro Volleyball Federation to launch inaugural U.S. women's season in 2024". volleyballmag.com. November 17, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
- ^ "Pro Volleyball Federation embarks on 'converting the unconverted'". sportsbusinessjournal.com. November 17, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
- ^ "Pro Volleyball Federation Provides New Horizon For Volleyball Players". prnewswire.com. November 17, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
- ^ "Report: Joe Burrow, Jason Derulo Invest In Professional Volleyball League". si.com. February 16, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
- ^ "Atlanta follows Omaha as 3rd city to join new pro volleyball league". 3newsnow.com. February 17, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
- ^ "Pro Volleyball Federation team coming to Columbus, adding to city's pro sports roster". bizjournals.com. February 23, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
- ^ "Dallas Joins Pro Volleyball Federation as League's Newest Franchise". provolleyball.com. July 19, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
- ^ Echlin, Greg (January 28, 2024). "The Pro Volleyball Federation for women debuts and draws a record crowd". Sports. Weekend Edition. NPR. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ^ "Supernovas Welcome Over 134,000 Fans in Championship-Winning Inaugural Season". Pro Volleyball Federation. June 4, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ "Pro Volleyball Federation Boasts Strong Inaugural Season". Pro Volleyball Federation. May 30, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ "Pro Volleyball Federation Announces CBS Sports as First Media Rights Partner". OurSports Central. December 20, 2023.
- ^ "Pro Volleyball Federation Announces CBS Sports As First Media Rights Partner". Sports Video Group. December 21, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
- ^ "Pro Volleyball Federation Expands TV Coverage to FS1 and FS2". Pro Volleyball Federation. December 17, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.