Pro Volleyball Consolidation Begins As Two Leagues Merge

Major League Volleyball will absorb the Pro Volleyball Federation, thinning a crowded field for pro indoor women’s volleyball in the United States.

The merger, announced Tuesday, will result in a combined league operating as MLV. Its debut season will start in January 2026 and feature eight teams, in Atlanta, Columbus, Dallas, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Omaha, Orlando, and San Diego.

The PVF reportedly raised $40 million in connection with the deal, which Sportico stated values the combined league at more than $325 million. PVF spokesperson Rob Carolla declined to comment on financial details. 

In response to a question about the potential for further consolidation in the realm of pro women’s volleyball—in addition to MLV there is League One Volleyball (LOVB) and the AU Pro Volleyball Championship—Carolla said “while we wouldn’t want to speculate on the future, the league is excited to provide the athletes the best professional opportunities in the United States.”

The PVF, founded in 2020, had already played two seasons, while MLV was set to launch in January 2026 with $100 million in funding. The upcoming season will be considered a third season for what is now called MLV.

The agreement culls what was becoming a crowded field of women’s volleyball leagues in the U.S. Following the transaction, there will still be three separate leagues competing for fan attention: MLV, LOVB, and the AU Pro Volleyball Championship from Athletes Unlimited, which runs multiple women’s sports leagues in addition to volleyball, including softball, basketball, and lacrosse.

LOVB, which was founded in 2020, held its debut pro season this year—starting in January and going through April—with six teams. The Austin team won the inaugural championship. In 2024, LOVB announced $100 million in funding in a round led by private-equity firm Atwater Capital.

Cassidy Lichtman, VP of volleyball for Athletes Unlimited, tells Front Office Sports there is room for all three leagues. In fact, the existence of MLV and LOVB benefits Athletes Unlimited in particular because the seasons don’t overlap, with the Athletes Unlimited season in the fall. Plus, Lichtman says that as many as 90% of its players also play in one of the other leagues, as there are no restrictions barring players from competing in multiple leagues.

“We pull players from both,” she says. “We welcome the investment in the sport, it provides for more opportunities for players and keeps more players in the United States, which helps our talent level grow each year.”

Before Athletes Unlimited’s 2020 launch, there hadn’t been a pro indoor women’s volleyball league in the United States since the 1980s. (That league, which is now defunct, was called Major League Volleyball.)

“There was no opportunity here until Athletes Unlimited started in 2021,” she says. “Now, players are inundated with opportunity.”

A spokesperson for LOVB said in an emailed statement to FOS “we believe the rise of these leagues underscore the excitement around pro volleyball in the U.S.—both as a sport and a fast-growing asset class.”

“But their announcements have no impact on LOVB,” the statement said. “For the last seven years, we’ve been building deliberately and our focus is on long-term, sustainable success. We are doing that through a community-up vision and youth-to-pro model that sets us apart in American sports, and we remain focused on our strategy.”

The new combined league has well-known franchise owners, including Orlando Magic owner Dan DeVos, who is CEO and owner of MLV’s Grand Rapids Rise, and Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé, who will own a franchise in Northern California that will not compete in 2026 but is expected to be ready for the 2027 season.

DeVos said in Tuesday’s statement that “this is a major step in the evolution of pro women’s volleyball here in the United States.”

Ranadivé said “women’s volleyball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, with fan interest and viewership at an all-time high,” and “we have a unique opportunity to build something special, elevate these phenomenal athletes, and create unforgettable fan experiences.”

There is data to back up his claim. College volleyball continues to turn in stellar ratings for Fox and ESPN, though the pros have been a tougher sell on TV. Participation is at an all-time high at the high school level.

The announcement comes after the Omaha Supernovas earlier this year announced they were leaving the PVF—which has played two seasons—to be a founding member of the upstart MLV. 

Another PVF team, the Vegas Thrill, are not currently planned as an MLV franchise. In Tuesday’s statement, the leagues said the Thrill are actively seeking new owners “but have not been able to finalize the specifics prior to this announcement.” If a new ownership group emerges, the team “would have the opportunity to continue playing professional volleyball at the highest level.”

The AU Pro Volleyball Championship, launched in 2021 in partnership with USA Volleyball and Athletes Unlimited, boasts four teams. In 2022, Athletes Unlimited completed a $30 million funding round that included participation from Kevin Durant’s 35 Ventures and seasoned private-equity executive and sports team owner David Blitzer, money which was spread across its sports leagues, including volleyball.

Representatives for Bank of America, which acted as financial adviser to the PVF, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.