• Loading stock data...
Monday, May 5, 2025

Pro Volleyball’s Secret Weapon: College Stars Who Have Big Fan Bases

League One Volleyball signed rookies straight out of college with big social media followings to deals with teams near their schools.

Austin American-Statesman

Imagine a league structure in which incoming rookies who have massive clout coming out of school join the pro team closest to their college town. Cooper Flagg would head to Charlotte to play for the Hornets, Jayden Daniels would have joined the New Orleans Saints, and Caleb Williams would have stayed in L.A. with the Rams or Chargers. College sports fans would keep their stars close, and pro teams would automatically feel that love through ticket sales.

It’s a model being tested by League One Volleyball (LOVB), one of several new women’s professional volleyball leagues popping up in the U.S. In addition to signing a slew of Olympians from Team USA and beyond, the league tried to tap into the momentum of college volleyball by picking up six players who competed for the national title this past fall. The league then signed three of those players to the closest LOVB team—former Badger Sarah Franklin to Madison, former Cornhusker Lexi Rodriguez to Nebraska, and former Longhorn Madisen Skinner to Austin.

Influencing Off the Court

Those three players have the most Instagram followers of the six, and Rodriguez and Skinner also have big TikTok audiences. On the two platforms combined, Rodriguez has more than 540,000 followers, and Skinner has more than 335,000. For context, the official league accounts have just 276,100 followers on Instagram and TikTok combined. One video of Rodriguez on the LOVB TikTok account has nearly 2 million views.

Creating a new league requires lots of talent to fill the rosters, and LOVB has plenty of veteran players. But just like other growing or debuting leagues, some of LOVB’s biggest names are young players who became popular in college and capitalized on their on-court success through social media and NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals. The WNBA knows firsthand how a talented rookie class can skyrocket a league to new business heights, and the new Women’s Lacrosse League primarily leaned on its younger stars like Charlotte North and Izzy Scane for its biggest media hits.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jun 23, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) passes the ball against Indiana Fever forward NaLyssa Smith (1) during the second half of a basketball game at Wintrust Arena.

WNBA Takes Its Preseason College Series to a New Level

Multiple preseason WNBA games will be broadcast nationally.
Jul 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike (3) shoots the ball against LA Sparks forward Dearica Hamby (5) and LA Sparks forward Rickea Jackson (2) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena.

‘We’ve Been Aggressive’: WNBPA Director on CBA Negotiations

Priorities include improved salaries and more accessible maternity benefits.

Caitlin Clark Breaks Another Record—This Time in Ticket Prices

Tickets for Sunday’s preseason game cost $440 on average.
Allyson Felix

Allyson Felix on Olympic Pay, Nike, and Track’s Big-Money Era

Felix talked to FOS about her push to help Olympic parents and more.

Featured Today

Athlos

Nike Wants to Pull Off the First Women’s Sub-4:00 Mile

Experts speak on whether Nike’s “moonshot” is realistic or a gimmick.
Apr 12, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; MLB umpire Ron Kulpa (46) calls a third strike during a game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field
May 4, 2025

Pro Refs Get Offered Free Lasik for Better Calls. Some Took It

Some pro officials have sprung for the offer for free corrective surgery.
Mint juelps
May 3, 2025

Inside the 120,000-Cup Mint Julep Frenzy of Kentucky Derby Weekend

The official cocktail at Churchill Downs costs $22—or $5,000.
May 1, 2025

How Larry Collmus Became the Longest-Running Kentucky Derby Caller

Collmus will call his 15th straight Derby on NBC.
Front Office Sports
exclusive

Jayson Werth: Winning Belmont Stakes ‘Comparable’ Emotions to World Series

Werth spoke to FOS at Churchill Downs about the race day high.
Aug 9, 2024; Paris Saint-Denis, France; Fred Kerley (USA) and Kyree King (USA) react after the men’s 4x100m relay during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade de France.
May 2, 2025

Fred Kerley Arrested Again at Grand Slam Track Hotel

He hit his ex-girlfriend, another track athlete, the police report says.
Apr 13, 2025; Bristol, Tennessee, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (12) during driver introductions for the NASCAR Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
May 3, 2025

NASCAR Champ Buys Into Ohio Racetrack

Blaney won the NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2023.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Portfolio Players is our bi-weekly spotlight on the athletes and investors reshaping the business of sports. This week, venture capitalist Kai Cunningham unpacks why athletes land top deals and how the usual investing rules don’t always apply.
Apr 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) looks for a shot against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in the third quarter during game four of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Fiserv Forum.
May 1, 2025

Pacers Ban Tyrese Haliburton’s Father for ‘Forseeable Future’

John Haliburton got in the face of Giannis Antetokounmpo after Tuesday’s Game 5.
May 1, 2025

Ferrari’s Enormous Lewis Hamilton Gamble Yet to Pay Off

The legendary driver has not found the podium with his new team.
Shedeur Sanders
April 30, 2025

NFL Fines Falcons $250K, Jeff Ulbrich $100K For Shedeur Sanders Prank Call

Ulbrich’s 21-year-old son prank-called the quarterback during the NFL Draft.
Apr 25, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) pitches during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium
April 30, 2025

The Pirates Are Struggling, But Paul Skenes Fever Is Still Spreading

The 22-year-old pitcher is (finally) giving Pittsburgh something to cheer for.