LOVB Pro (pronounced "love" and commonly referred to by its full name League One Volleyball) is an American women's professional indoor volleyball league. The league is owned by LOVB, a volleyball body founded in 2020. Its first season will begin in January 2025.
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Sport | Volleyball |
---|---|
Founded | October 19, 2021 |
Founder | Katlyn Gao |
First season | 2025 |
CEO | Katlyn Gao |
No. of teams | 6 |
Country | United States |
Headquarters | Los Angeles, California, United States |
TV partner(s) | ESPN |
Streaming partner(s) | ESPN+ |
Official website | LOVB.com |
History
editLeague One Volleyball (LOVB) was founded in 2020 as a network of youth volleyball clubs across the United States with the intent of eventually creating and sustaining a professional league.[1]
On October 19, 2021, LOVB formally announced the creation of its professional league, branded as LOVB Pro.[2]
On September 28, 2022, LOVB raised $16.75 million in a Series A funding round, headlined by Billie Jean King and Kevin Durant.[3]
On March 9, 2023, LOVB announced its first professional cities as Atlanta, Georgia, and Houston, Texas.[4] On April 27, a team was added in Madison, Wisconsin.[5] On September 27, LOVB raised $35 million in a Series B round led by Lindsey Vonn, Jayson Tatum, and Candace Parker.[6] In December, the league announced it would be building a dedicated training facility for LOVB Madison in the Madison suburb of Sun Prairie.[7]
Inaugural season
editOn 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.[8] Team venues and schedules for the 2025 season were announced on July 18.[9]
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.[9]
Teams
editLOVB teams do not have traditional team names, and instead compete as "LOVB" followed by the city name.
Team | Location | Venue | Capacity | Joined |
---|---|---|---|---|
LOVB Atlanta | College Park, Georgia | Gateway Center Arena | 3,500 | 2025 |
LOVB Austin | Austin, Texas | H-E-B Center Strahan Arena |
8,700 10,000 |
2025 |
LOVB Houston | Rosenberg, Texas | Fort Bend Epicenter | 10,000 | 2025 |
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 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "USA Volleyball and League One Volleyball Announce Partnership". USA Volleyball. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ Chappell, Bill (October 19, 2021). "Are you ready for some volleyball? A new women's pro league hopes the answer is yes". NPR.
- ^ Smith, Chris (September 28, 2022). "League One Volleyball looks to accelerate growth after Series A funding round". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ "LOVB, eyeing 2024 pro volleyball season, announces Atlanta and Houston locations". Volleyballmag.com. March 9, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ Jacques, Mike; Nijhawan, Shaina (April 27, 2023). "Professional volleyball coming to Madison". WMTV-TV. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ Feldman, Jacob (September 27, 2023). "League One Volleyball Raises $35 Million to Serve Growing Fanbase". Sportico.com. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ Jacobs, Kylie (December 4, 2023). "LOVB Madison to open first pro facility; announce first pro player". WMTV-TV. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ Cahillane, Mollie (May 9, 2024). "League One Volleyball signs media deal with ESPN ahead of debut". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ a b Feinswog, Lee (July 18, 2024). "League One Volleyball announces 2025 pro venues, six-team schedule". Volleyballmag.com. Retrieved July 25, 2024.