League One Volleyball ( LOVB ) is considering adding at least two teams by the 2027 season, according to LOVB Pro president Rosie Spaulding, as it seeks to develop a “major league” in the U. S. at the pinnacle of a growing sport.
LOVB made its debut next month with six groups, one each in Atlanta, Austin, Texas, Houston, Madison, Wisc., Omaha, Neb., and Salt Lake City. Under a single entity architecture, LOVB placed its team in towns with robust college connections and areas where the company already had preexisting team programs for younger players.
LOVB believes its network of roughly 18, 000 players makes it possible for it to attract enthusiasts for the pro games, potential future players, center infrastructure, and a business concept to grow a spectator sport venture. All of this was a result of the company’s purchase of$ 100 million last season. However, Spaulding said LOVB would also take into account placing teams outside of the hotbed footprints as it progresses. Additionally, the league might shorten its growth timeline.

” There’s been a lot of interest”, Spaulding said in a video interview.
Over time, LOVB Pro plans to adopt an individual team ownership model, but the league intentionally started small and under direct control. The founding six teams are currently playing a 14-week schedule that includes four games played on one site over the weekend and one marquee midweek game. Games air on ESPN’s platforms, including ESPN+.
While teams build local fan bases, league executives are also keen to grow individual player brands, recognizing the way other women’s sports stars—such as Caitlin Clark, Ilona Maher, Alex Morgan and Serena Williams —have expanded the fan bases for their sports.
The league picked up six college stars, dubbed the LOVB 6, for its inaugural season, with one sent to each team. Prioritizing both competitive balance and local connections, the University of Nebraska’s Lexi Rodriguez plays for LOVB Omaha, and Texas ‘ Madisen Skinner was placed on LOVB Austin. Both of those players have more than 150, 000 followers on Instagram.
” Telling the stories of these athletes and establishing the eminence of these women is really as crucial as establishing the league,” Spaulding said.
Volleyball is growing in the U. S. in terms of both local club membership and TV viewership. More than 470, 000 high schoolers played girls volleyball in 2022-23, second only to track and field in terms of participation, while fans consumed a record 1.3 billion minutes of NCAA tournament action across ESPN’s platforms in 2024, the company reported. Executives have pointed to airtime on conference-specific TV networks as an accelerant of the sport’s national awareness.

We have the “big goal” of making volleyball a major league sport, Spaulding said.
However, LOVB has competition among the professional ranks. The Pro Volleyball Federation just wrapped up its second season, which will be broadcast on CBS, Fox, and Roku. PVF has a more traditional league-and-franchise structure, with eight teams, including ones in Atlanta and Omaha. There is also Athletes Unlimited, which puts on a five-week competition, as well as pro leagues overseas.
Both LOVB and PVF have agreed to starting player salaries of$ 60,000. Additionally, each has partnered with well-known investors, with Jayson Tatum and Lindsey Vonn investing in LOVB and Jason Derulo and Joe Burrow backing the PVF.
The success of the local markets will be essential to maintaining the league. LOVB will develop players into household names as a result.
” I’m not sure that it’s necessarily one— I’d love to see stars break out in each of our cities”, Spaulding said.