Major League Volleyball (2026)

{{Short description|Women's volleyball league in the United States}}

{{For|the league that played in 1987–1989|Major League Volleyball (1987)}}

{{Infobox sports league

| name = Major League Volleyball

| upcoming_season =

| logo = Major League Volleyball.svg

| logo_upright = 0.7

| alt = A simple depiction of a volleyball, with the letters "mlv" in lowercase printed above it.

| sport = Volleyball

| inaugural = 2026 (planned)

| owner = MLV Holdings

| teams = 10 (planned)

| country = United States

| titles_label = Broadcaster

| titles =

| champion =

| champ_season =

| most_champs =

}}

Major League Volleyball (MLV) is a planned women's professional indoor volleyball league in the United States, owned by MLV Holdings. Formed from the secession of the Omaha Supernovas from the Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) following a conflict over the league's ownership, the MLV plans to commence play with ten teams in January 2026.

History

The Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) is one of three competing professional volleyball leagues in the United States that commenced play in the early-to-mid 2020s, alongside Athletes Unlimited Pro Volleyball and LOVB Pro. Its inaugural 2024 season was dominated by the success of the Omaha Supernovas, who earned the highest average attendance for a professional volleyball team in the world,{{cite web |last1=Parsons |first1=McKenzy |title=Omaha Supernovas have highest average of fans at games across professional volleyball teams in the world |url=https://www.ketv.com/article/omaha-supernovas-attendance-first-season/60995941 |website=KETV 7 |access-date=January 17, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715122705/https://www.ketv.com/article/omaha-supernovas-attendance-first-season/60995941 |archive-date=July 15, 2024 |date=June 4, 2024 |url-status=live}} broke the United States attendance record for a volleyball game thrice,{{cite web |title=Supernovas set professional volleyball U.S. attendance record for third time |url=https://www.ksnblocal4.com/2024/03/18/supernovas-set-professional-volleyball-us-attendance-record-third-time/ |website=KSNB Local4 |access-date=January 17, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521042010/https://www.ksnblocal4.com/2024/03/18/supernovas-set-professional-volleyball-us-attendance-record-third-time/ |archive-date=May 21, 2024 |date=March 18, 2024 |url-status=live}} and won the PVF Championship in straight sets against the Grand Rapids Rise.{{cite web |last1=Boyles |first1=Grace |title=CHAMPIONS: Supernovas sweep the Rise to win first-ever Pro Volleyball Federation title |url=https://www.wowt.com/2024/05/19/champions-supernovas-sweep-rise-win-first-ever-pro-volleyball-federation-title/ |website=First Alert 6 |access-date=January 17, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114111338/https://www.wowt.com/2024/05/19/champions-supernovas-sweep-rise-win-first-ever-pro-volleyball-federation-title/ |archive-date=January 14, 2025 |date=May 18, 2024 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |last1=Tyler |first1=Kuehl |title=Rise lose PVF Championship Match to Omaha in straight sets |url=https://www.mlive.com/sports/grand-rapids/2024/05/rise-lose-pvf-championship-match-to-omaha-in-straight-sets.html |website=MLive |access-date=January 17, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250112135220/https://www.mlive.com/sports/grand-rapids/2024/05/rise-lose-pvf-championship-match-to-omaha-in-straight-sets.html |archive-date=January 12, 2025 |date=May 18, 2024 |url-status=live}} Off the court, the PVF came into conflict with the Supernovas over their attempted acquisition of another PVF franchise, the Vegas Thrill, in August 2023; which was blocked by the league.{{cite web |last1=Sanchez |first1=Mark |title=Pro volleyball league founders sue DeVos-backed company amid takeover bid |url=https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/sports-recreation/pro-volleyball-league-founders-sue-devos-backed-company-amid-takeover-bid/ |website=Crain's Grand Rapids Business |access-date=17 January 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240919123505/https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/sports-recreation/pro-volleyball-league-founders-sue-devos-backed-company-amid-takeover-bid/ |archive-date=September 19, 2024 |date=September 19, 2024 |quote=Around August 2023 [...] a group that owned the Omaha franchise tried to buy the Las Vegas team, which violated league policy. |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}} By December, an attempt at a hostile takeover of the PVF itself by the Supernovas' owners was alleged to have started,{{Harvnb|Sanchez|2024|loc="By December 2023 [...] the White Group was in the process of executing a leveraged corporate takeover of PVF. [Whinham and Evans] believed that such a development would be bad for PVF and its fledgling league, (they) tried to resist Mr. White’s takeover."}} inspiring PVF co-founders Dan Whinham and Stephen Evans to "resist" the takeover by selling $1 million in shares of the league to a competing PVF franchise owner, the Rise's Dan DeVos, in February 2024.{{Harvnb|Sanchez|2024|loc="[...] the founders of the Pro Volleyball Federation inked a $1 million deal on Feb. 12 to sell to DeVos' PVF Ventures. The founders say the sale was motivated by their desire to preserve the new league and avoid a "leveraged corporate takeover" by another franchise owner based in Omaha, Neb."}}

Amid the dispute, Supernovas co-owners Jason Derulo and Danny White, along with Benjamin Priest, Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé, and three-time Olympic beach volleyball champion Kerri Walsh Jennings, organized plans for a competing league with the Supernovas as a charter member, raising $100 million from investors.{{cite web |last1=Ramos |first1=Richard |title=Major League Volleyball debuts in January 2026, Sacramento among first 10 teams |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/major-league-volleyball-debuts-in-january-2026-sacramento-among-first-10-teams/ |website=CBS News |access-date=January 17, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250117170850/https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/major-league-volleyball-debuts-in-january-2026-sacramento-among-first-10-teams/ |archive-date=January 17, 2025 |date=January 16, 2025 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |last1=Dotson |first1=Nijzel |title=Sacramento expected to have a team in new women's pro volleyball league |url=https://www.kcra.com/article/sacramento-major-league-volleyball-team-vivek/63446704 |website=KCRA 3 |access-date=January 17, 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250117172026/https://www.kcra.com/article/sacramento-major-league-volleyball-team-vivek/63446704 |archive-date=January 17, 2025 |date=January 16, 2025 |url-status=live}} The group announced both the Supernovas' exit from the PVF and the establishment of Major League Volleyball, just days into the 2025 season on January 16.{{cite web |last1=Sim |first1=Josh |title=New US$100m women's volleyball league to launch in 2026 |url=https://www.sportspro.com/news/major-league-volleyball-usa-launch-january-2026-omaha-supernovas-january-2025/ |website=SportsPro |access-date=January 17, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250117172642/https://www.sportspro.com/news/major-league-volleyball-usa-launch-january-2026-omaha-supernovas-january-2025/ |archive-date=January 17, 2025 |date=January 17, 2025 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |last1=Koperski |first1=Scott |title=Omaha Supernovas leaving Pro Volleyball Federation |url=https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/omaha-supernovas-leaving-pro-volleyball-federation/ |website=Nebraska Public Media |access-date=January 17, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250117173028/https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/omaha-supernovas-leaving-pro-volleyball-federation/ |archive-date=January 17, 2025 |date=January 16, 2025 |url-status=live}} The Supernovas intend to continue competing in the PVF through to the end of the season. Ranadivé would become the owner of a MLV franchise based in Sacramento, California.

Organization

Major League Volleyball is owned by MLV Holdings, an investment company consisting of Jason Derulo, Benjamin Priest, Vivek Ranadivé, Kerri Walsh Jennings, and Danny White.{{cite web |last1=Hettesheimer |first1=Cassidy |title=Major League Volleyball is coming to Minnesota |url=https://www.startribune.com/major-league-volleyball-is-coming-to-minnesota/601207068 |website=The Minnesota Star Tribune |access-date=January 17, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250117142641/https://www.startribune.com/major-league-volleyball-is-coming-to-minnesota/601207068 |archive-date=January 17, 2025 |date=January 17, 2025 |url-status=live}} Walsh Jennings and Mitch Grossbach are responsible for the league's franchise development and partnerships through Grossbach's Something Great Management, while its marketing is handled by advertising agencies Hurrdat Media and Talisman Marketing.{{cite web |last1=Crawford |first1=Kristen |last2=Lukas |first2=Joan |title=Major League Volleyball Women's Pro League to Launch in January 2026 |url=https://usavolleyball.org/story/major-league-volleyball-womens-pro-league-to-launch-in-january-2026/ |website=USA Volleyball |access-date=January 16, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250116221223/https://usavolleyball.org/story/major-league-volleyball-womens-pro-league-to-launch-in-january-2026/ |archive-date=January 16, 2025 |date=January 16, 2025 |url-status=live}}

Teams

Major League Volleyball plans to commence play with a minimum of ten independently owned franchises that will "adhere to MLV's standards and operational playbooks". The states of California, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, Tennessee, Washington, and Wisconsin are being considered as potential locations for the franchises.{{cite web |last1=Hartle |first1=Sam |title=Kansas 1 of 11 states to be part of new Major League Volleyball venture |url=https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/kansas-1-of-11-states-to-be-part-of-new-major-league-volleyball-venture |website=KSHB 41 Kansas City |access-date=January 17, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250116214316/https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/kansas-1-of-11-states-to-be-part-of-new-major-league-volleyball-venture |archive-date=January 16, 2025 |date=January 16, 2025 |url-status=live}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="font-size:95%" \|+ style="text-align: left;" \| 2026 Major League Volleyball teams ! scope="col" \| Team ! scope="col" class="unsortable" \| Location ! scope="col" class="unsortable" \| Venue
scope="row" style="background:#f8f9fa" \| MLV Sacramento \| Sacramento, California \|\| {{Color\|grey\|TBD}}
scope="row" style="background:#f8f9fa" \| Omaha Supernovas \| Omaha, Nebraska \|\| CHI Health Center Omaha

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="font-size:95%"

|+ style="text-align: left;" | 2026 Major League Volleyball teams

! scope="col" | Team

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Location

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Venue

scope="row" style="background:#f8f9fa" | MLV Sacramento

| Sacramento, California || {{Color|grey|TBD}}

scope="row" style="background:#f8f9fa" | Omaha Supernovas

| Omaha, Nebraska || CHI Health Center Omaha