Volleyball fans will be served a helping of professional sports this year and the foreseeable future.
The Pro Volleyball Federation tips off on Wednesday for the league's inaugural season. Women's volleyball has seen tremendous growth in recent years as was evidenced by the Nebraska Cornhuskers' volleyball team breaking the world record for most attendance at a women's sports event. In 2021, the United States won its first gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
The league has lots of star power backing it, including Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Super Bowl champion Trent Dilfer, multiplatinum singer Jason Derulo, and volleyball star and four-time Olympic medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings.
Pro Volleyball Federation CEO Jen Spicher left her 30-year career in corporate America to be a part of the leadership team of the league. She was in Detroit preparing to take a flight to the first match in Omaha when she spoke on the establishment of the venture.
"Everybody is very excited. There's been a lot of blood, sweat and tears put into this," she told USA TODAY Sports. "A lot of miles flown and driven, a lot of work done to get to this historic inaugural season."
The inaugural season for the Pro Volleyball Federation starts at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday when the Omaha Supernovas host the Atlanta Vibe at CHI Health Center. A representative for the league said more than 10,000 tickets were sold for the match as of Tuesday afternoon. The venue has a capacity of 17,000.
The first week also includes a match between the Columbus Fury at the Grand Rapids Rise serving at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday. On Friday, the Atlanta Vibe take on the Orlando Valkyries at 7 p.m. ET.
"Volleyball is having its moment, but Nebraska volleyball is really having a moment," Spicher said. "... Omaha and Atlanta were two of the very first franchises. In addition to Grand Rapids, those are the first three that signed with Pro Volleyball Federation. And we know that the Omaha team and the Omaha owners are gonna do a fantastic job of putting a quality product out there (Wednesday) night. And we just felt that the two of them — Atlanta and Omaha — it was a great idea for our first match."
Pro Volleyball Federation matches will air on Stadium and Bally Live.
Spicher said that the league is set up to share revenue from media rights with its players, which is a rarity in professional sports.
The first week's broadcast schedule is as follows:
The University of Nebraska's volleyball program has been a leader in promoting the sport and excelling in it.
In August, Nebraska volleyball set the world record for most fans in attendance at a women's sporting event. They had 92,003 fans pack Memorial Stadium to watch the Cornhuskers play.
The program has won four Big 10 conference championships and five national championships.
Jordan Larson, a three-time Olympian who was named the Most Valuable Player in the United States' gold medal campaign at the Tokyo Olympics, is a product of the Cornhuskers program.
The Pro Volleyball Federation is a professional volleyball league that launches in 2024. Its formation was announced in November 2022.
There are seven teams in the inaugural season: Atlanta Vibe, Columbus Fury, Grand Rapids Rise, Omaha Supernovas, Orlando Valkyries, San Diego Mojo and Vegas Thrill. Three expansion teams from Indianapolis, Kansas City and Dallas will join in the 2025 season, bringing the total to 10 teams.
The league emphasizes offering a livable wage for its players so that they can play professionally in their home country. Hundreds of American athletes play in countries including Greece, Brazil and Japan.
Per Spicher, the base contract for a player in the Pro Volleyball Federation is $60,000, which is $2,500 per match. There are incentives for position accolades and playoff bonuses.
Spicher played college volleyball at Wayne State University and has seen firsthand the importance of paying players. She also thinks of her own family legacy in considering the significance of the league.
"My best girlfriend left after we graduated. She went to Germany and I, granted this was many, many years ago, but I watched her go through a couple of seasons over there and I saw how she was treated and how she was paid — or should I say not paid," she said. "I've coached my daughter for the last eight years. And so volleyball is near and dear to my heart."
There are 35 players that have been on a national or Olympic team, including 17 from the United States national team. The players average 4.5 years of professional experience. Dilfer's daughter Tori Dilfer-Stringer is a member of the Vibe.
In December, the Pro Volleyball Federation held its first five-round draft where 35 college athletes were selected. The No. 1 overall pick was Texas' Asjia O’Neal, who was drafted by the Fury and signed a contract with the team. She is one of 30 players who were drafted and signed with a franchise.
"In the inaugural season before we've ever even served a point, to sign 30 of 35 players to this league is absolutely amazing," Spicher said. "Nothing short of fantastic to give these women a place to play in the United States close to family and friends and so they don't have to go miles and miles away to play a sport that they love."
The Pro Volleyball Federation is a partner with USA Volleyball, the organization that is home to the United States national team, which competes in global tournaments and the Olympics. The team seeks to defend its first gold medal at this summer's Paris Olympics.
Athletes Unlimited is a sports league that offers a shorter season with adjusted rules meant to empower athletes and create more action. Besides volleyball, the organization also hosts leagues for basketball, softball and lacrosse.
League One Volleyball (LOVB) is another volleyball league that is introducing a professional level this fall. The regular season is expected to start at the top of 2025. LOVB Pro will play with teams in Atlanta, Austin, Houston, Madison, Omaha and Salt Lake. Each team will be linked to the local club volleyball program.
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