The Pro Volleyball Federation and Major League Volleyball announced plans for a single league branded as MLV. The move brings in new team owners, league governance, ownership standards, and new and innovative off-court player opportunities and fan engagement. The league stated in a press release on Tuesday that “MLV is an evolution of PVF and the upcoming campaign will be recorded as the league’s third season.”
On a busy volleyball news week, the Supernovas also announced that retired Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball coach John Cook is now the club’s general manager and co-owner. The Husker legend retired after last season.
MLV will be the longest-running professional women’s volleyball league and the only one operating with independently owned teams in-market. League play is scheduled to begin in January 2026.
The Omaha Supernovas will be a founding member of the new league and plan to play their home matches at the CHI Health Center for the foreseeable future, per a team release. The Supernovas are coming off a historic 2025 season, where the franchise led the world in average attendance, drawing 10,925 fans to the CHI Health Center per match. The club’s total season attendance of 152,949 marks a 32% year-over-year increase from 2024.
Joining the Supernovas will be teams from Atlanta, Columbus, Dallas, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Orlando, and San Diego. The league already has expansion plans for 2027, with the addition of two more franchises in Washington, D.C. and Northern California. These teams will use the 2026 season to introduce fans to the league prior to their inaugural seasons.
Although no games will be played until next January, the 2026 MLV season officially begins this Thursday, Aug. 7 with the opening of the free agency signing period.
The league has several subsequent announcements planned for the near future, including season schedules, team ownership, special events, and more.
