LOVB Pro

Last updated

LOVB Pro
LOVB Pro logo.png
Sport Volleyball
FoundedOctober 19, 2021;2 years ago (2021-10-19)
First season2025
Owner(s)League One Volleyball
CEO Katlyn Gao
No. of teams6
Country United States
Headquarters Los Angeles, California, United States
TV partner(s) ESPN
Streaming partner(s) ESPN+
Official website LOVB.com

LOVB Pro (pronounced "love" and commonly referred to as League One Volleyball) is an American women's professional indoor volleyball league. The league is owned by League One Volleyball (LOVB), a volleyball body founded in 2020. Its first season will begin in January 2025.

Contents

History

League One Volleyball (LOVB) was founded in 2020 by Katlyn Gao, Peter Hirschmann, and Olympian Kevin Wong as a network of youth volleyball clubs across the United States with the intent of eventually creating and sustaining a professional league. [1] As of August 2024, LOVB's youth business includes 60 club locations in 24 states, with over 14,000 youth athletes and 3,000 coaches. These clubs provide volleyball coaching and preparation for team competition for youth ages 12-18 interested in playing travel volleyball. [2]

On October 19, 2021, LOVB formally announced the creation of its professional league, branded as LOVB Pro. [3]

On March 9, 2023, LOVB announced its first professional cities as Atlanta, Georgia, and Houston, Texas. [4] Upon announcement, each team also announced their first player or players (all of whom have won Olympic medals), dubbed their "founding athletes"; Atlanta announced Fabiana Claudino and Kelsey Robinson-Cook, and Houston announced Micha Hancock and Jordan Thompson. [4] On April 27, a team was added in Madison, Wisconsin with founding athlete Lauren Carlini. [5] On June 5, the fourth city was announced as Salt Lake City, Utah, led by founding athletes Jordyn Poulter and Haleigh Washington. [6] On August 16, Omaha, Nebraska was announced as the fifth host city with founding athletes Jordan Larson and Justine Wong-Orantes. [7] In December, the league announced it would be building a dedicated training facility for LOVB Madison and area LOVB youth squads in the Madison suburb of Sun Prairie. [8] A week later, the league announced its final city as Austin, Texas, with founding athlete Carli Lloyd. [9]

Inaugural season

On May 9, 2024, LOVB and ESPN announced an international media rights agreement that would see 10 matches broadcast on ESPN networks and an additional 18 streamed on ESPN+ for the 2025 season. [10] Team venues and schedules for the 2025 season were announced on July 18. [11]

The 2025 season will feature four matches per week; a single head-to-head match and a homestand-style "Weekend with LOVB", where one team will host two others for three total matches. An in-season tournament, the LOVB Classic, will be held alongside the Triple Crown NIT youth invitational in February in Kansas City, Missouri, with the finals held in April. [11]

Teams

LOVB Pro
Invisible Square.svg
Invisible Square.svg
Mapscaleline.svg
1200km
820miles
6
5
4
3
2
  • 1
    LOVB Atlanta
  • 2
    LOVB Austin
  • 3
    LOVB Houston
  • 4
    LOVB Madison
  • 5
    LOVB Omaha
  • 6
    LOVB Salt Lake

LOVB teams do not have traditional team names, and instead compete as "LOVB" followed by the city name.

LOVB Pro teams
TeamLocationVenueCapacityJoined
LOVB Atlanta College Park, Georgia Gateway Center Arena 3,5002025
LOVB Austin Austin, Texas H-E-B Center
Strahan Arena 		8,700
10,000		2025
LOVB Houston Rosenberg, Texas Fort Bend Epicenter 10,0002025
LOVB Madison Madison, Wisconsin Wisconsin Field House
Alliant Energy Center 		7,540
7,432		2025
LOVB Omaha Omaha, Nebraska Liberty First Credit Union Arena
Baxter Arena 		4,600
7,898		2025
LOVB Salt Lake Salt Lake City, Utah Lifetime Activities Center
Maverik Center 		5,000
12,500		2025

Sponsorship and funding

On September 28, 2022, LOVB raised $16.75 million in a Series A funding round, headlined by Billie Jean King and Kevin Durant. [12] A year later, LOVB raised $35 million in a Series B round led by Lindsey Vonn, Jayson Tatum, and Candace Parker. [13]

On June 17, 2024, LOVB and Adidas signed an apparel partnership that would make Adidas the uniform supplier of LOVB Pro. [14] Two days later, LOVB announced a partnership with Spanx, the apparel brand's first sports partnership, to provide apparel and support league initiatives for LOVB's youth and professional circuits. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Association of Volleyball Professionals</span> Professional American volleyball league

The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) is the biggest and longest-running professional beach volleyball tour in the United States. Founded in 1983, the AVP is headquartered in Newport Beach, California. The AVP operates as a 3-tiered development system with AVPFirst, a youth program; AVPNext, a developmental circuit; and the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">USL Championship</span> Professional soccer league in the United States

The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began play in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation as a Division II league since 2017, placing it under Major League Soccer in the hierarchy. The USL is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Larson</span> American volleyball player (born 1986)

Jordan Quinn Larson is an American professional volleyball player who plays as an outside hitter for the United States women's national volleyball team. A four-time Olympian, Larson earned the USA its first-ever gold in women's volleyball at the 2020 Summer Olympics, adding to her silver and bronze medals from the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professional Fighters League</span> Mixed martial arts combat sport promoter

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American mixed martial arts league founded by venture capitalist Donn Davis in 2017 and launched in 2018, following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) promotion in 2017 by MMAX Investment Partners. It is the first major MMA organization in which individual athletes compete in a regular season, post-season and championship, rather than on a year-round basis.

Fanatics, Inc. is a global digital sports platform that consists of several businesses, including licensed sports merchandise, trading cards and collectibles, sports betting and iGaming, special events, and live commerce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nivia Sports</span> Indian sports equipment manufacturing company

Nivia Sports is an Indian sports equipment manufacturing industry founded in 1934 at Sialkot. It was named Freewill Sports Pvt Ltd. Later the company shifted to Mumbai and finally headquartered in Jalandhar, Punjab, India which designs and manufactures sports equipment, accessories, and sportswear including athletic clothes, and footwear. It has been the official ball partner for many national and international leagues and tournaments including Indian Super League, The Basketball Federation of India, All India Football Federation, Volleyball Federation of India, Sri Lanka Super League, and Premier Handball League (PHL). Nivia's basketball has received certification from FIBA, the International Basketball Federation. Nivia Sports has established a strategic partnership with the Women's Handball League (WHL) to collaborate on initiatives that support the development of women's handball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">USL League One</span> American professional soccer league

USL League One (USL1) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that had its inaugural season in 2019. The Division III league is operated by United Soccer League, the same group that operates the Division II USL Championship and other leagues. As of 2024, the league has 12 teams who play 22 regular season games, followed by playoffs. All teams also participate in the USL Cup, adding an additional eight games, followed by knockout rounds.

The American Flag Football League is a semi-professional flag football league started in 2017. The league was founded by Jeff Lewis in May 2017, and played a tournament-style schedule every summer. League players are not paid during the season and most of them are primarily amateurs, instead cash prizes are awarded to the tournament winners. The AFFL plan to launch a four-team pro league in 2024. However, the AFFL announced in April 2024 that the debut season would be delayed until 2025 with additional teams and a women's division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Carlini</span> American volleyball player (born 1995)

Lauren Nicole Carlini is an American volleyball player. She plays for the United States women's volleyball team. She won the 2016 Sullivan Award as America's best amateur athlete.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Premier Lacrosse League</span> American professional field lacrosse league

The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) is an American professional field lacrosse league composed of 8 teams. The league's inaugural season debuted on June 1, 2019, and included a 14-week tour-based schedule taking place in 12 major-market cities. The league was founded by the American professional lacrosse player Paul Rabil and his brother Mike Rabil. Investors include The Chernin Group, The Raine Group and Joe Tsai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castore</span> British sportswear manufacturer

J. Carter Sporting Club Limited, operating as Castore, is a British manufacturer of sportswear and athletic clothing, headquartered in Manchester, England. The company's products are now sold worldwide and have sponsorship deals with association football teams, cricket teams, rugby union teams, Formula One teams, and tennis players.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordyn Poulter</span> American volleyball player

Jordyn Ashley Poulter is an American volleyball player for the United States women's national volleyball team. Poulter played collegiate volleyball with the University of Illinois Fighting Illini from 2015 to 2018. Poulter won gold with the national team at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.

Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball is a women's professional softball league in the United States, founded in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">USL Super League</span> Professional womens soccer league in the United States

The USL Super League (USLS) is a professional women's soccer league in the highest level of the United States league system, alongside the National Women's Soccer League. Organized by the United Soccer League (USL), it operates as its premier league for women above the pre-professional USL W League. The league consists of eight clubs who annually play four round-robins – two in the fall and two in the spring – to earn four places in a playoff tournament that determines the league's champion. Additional clubs are expected to join the league in the future. Clubs in the league have no cap on salaries or squad sizes, while minimum salaries are around US$35,000 to 37,000. There is no draft system, and squads are primarily built with free agents. The league's matches are streamed nationally on Peacock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overtime (sports network)</span> American sports media company

Overtime is a sports media company geared towards Generation Z sports fans. The company distributes original sports content on social media outlets, including Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube and sells apparel with its logos and branding. In 2021, Overtime launched Overtime Elite, a professional basketball league for 16-19 year-olds. In 2022, Overtime launched OT7, a low-contact, seven-on-seven American football league. In August 2023, Overtime held its first Overtime Boxing (OTX) matches at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Schulte</span> American soccer player (born 2001)

Patrick Timothy Schulte is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew and the United States national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overtime Elite</span> Basketball league based in Georgia, US

Overtime Elite is a basketball league for 16–20-year-olds, based in Atlanta, Georgia. The league is owned and operated by Overtime and was founded by Dan Porter and Zack Weiner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pro Volleyball Federation</span> Womens volleyball league in the United States

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asjia O'Neal</span> American volleyball player (born 1999)

Asjia O'Neal is an American volleyball player. She played college volleyball for the Texas Longhorns and won back-to-back NCAA championships in 2022 and 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Football League (2024)</span> American football league

The United Football League (UFL) is a professional American football high-level minor league which started play in March 2024. The league was created following the merger of the latest incarnations of the XFL and United States Football League (USFL). It consists of eight teams, all of which were members of the XFL or USFL prior to the UFL's creation, concentrated in the Midwest and Southern United States.

References

  1. ↑ "USA Volleyball and League One Volleyball Announce Partnership". USA Volleyball. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  2. ↑ Pimental, Joseph (March 11, 2023). "Are you ready for some volleyball? A new women's pro league hopes the answer is yes". Spectrum News.
  3. ↑ Chappell, Bill (October 19, 2021). "Are you ready for some volleyball? A new women's pro league hopes the answer is yes". NPR.
  4. 1 2 "LOVB, eyeing 2024 pro volleyball season, announces Atlanta and Houston locations". Volleyballmag.com. March 9, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  5. ↑ Jacques, Mike; Nijhawan, Shaina (April 27, 2023). "Professional volleyball coming to Madison". WMTV-TV . Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  6. ↑ Page, Jared (June 5, 2023). "LOVB invites Salt Lake City to host new pro women's volleyball team". Gephardt Daily. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  7. ↑ Krueger, Adam (August 16, 2023). "Omaha named new team in League One Volleyball". KMTV-TV . Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  8. ↑ Jacobs, Kylie (December 4, 2023). "LOVB Madison to open first pro facility; announce first pro player". WMTV-TV . Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  9. ↑ Jones, Kimberley (December 11, 2023). "A New Women's Pro Volleyball League Is Launching in Austin in 2024". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  10. ↑ Cahillane, Mollie (May 9, 2024). "League One Volleyball signs media deal with ESPN ahead of debut". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  11. 1 2 Feinswog, Lee (July 18, 2024). "League One Volleyball announces 2025 pro venues, six-team schedule". Volleyballmag.com. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  12. ↑ Smith, Chris (September 28, 2022). "League One Volleyball looks to accelerate growth after Series A funding round". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  13. ↑ Feldman, Jacob (September 27, 2023). "League One Volleyball Raises $35 Million to Serve Growing Fanbase". Sportico.com. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  14. ↑ Pelit, Asli (June 17, 2024). "Adidas, League One Volleyball Ink Multiyear Partnership". Sportico.com. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  15. ↑ Hendriksz, Vivian (June 19, 2024). "Spanx partners with League One Volleyball to support young volleyball players". FashionUnited. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.