Pro Volleyball Federation: TV announcement soon; Las Vegas gets its Thrill
The debut of the Pro Volleyball Federation — the latest attempt to establish a viable professional women’s indoor league in the United States – is less than two months away and one significant order of business has yet to be disclosed.
Television.
As in, will the PVF be on TV?
League co-founder Dave Whinham assured VolleyballMag that, yes, the PVF will indeed get TV exposure, and on multiple platforms. He told us an announcement is impending.
“We’ve been working for well over a year on putting together our TV and streaming partners,” Whinham said during a wide-ranging interview last week. “This is the only time we are going to be in preparation for our inaugural year, so everything has to happen in steps.
“We had to finalize where our markets were going to be and getting seven markets was extremely important. That was a key number because in a 24-game schedule that allows each team to play the others at home twice and twice on the road. Once we had our teams, we had to make a schedule. Now that we have a schedule, we can finalize our TV and streaming deals.
“We have known for at least a year that we are going to be on multiple platforms. We will be on television and we will have mature streaming partners. We are [a few days away] from making that announcement.”
Whinham, 66, has extensive experience as a coach and administrator in Arena Football, and runs The TEAM Productions. He said that the first disclosure of a media package would be for the overall league, but that each franchise is working on deals in their markets as well.
“We will have a presence on linear TV as well as streaming,” he said. “We will have TV partners that will present our product in a ‘Game of the Week’ format, and others that take a different approach.”
Whinham addressed the crucial difference between traditional TV and streaming, the latter of which seems to be the medium of choice for the die-hard fan.
“A streaming platform does not tend to convert the unconverted,” he said. “To be able to convert the unconverted, which is a huge part of our strategy, you have to be available to the channel surfer. The channel surfer has to find you when they’re not looking for you. We will be announcing those types of partners very soon.”
Nonetheless, a strong streaming element is a priority for the PVF.
“You have to provide accessibility, and we want to make as many as possible, if not all, of our games available to those who want to find them,” Whinham said. “But we also have to be accessible to those who aren’t necessarily looking for us. It’s a balance. Anybody who follows this sport knows that there are people who are really into women’s volleyball at a high level and they will seek it out wherever it is. But [streaming] is just part of a mature media package for a pro league at this level.”
Fueling an optimism that the PVF might be able to gain a significant foothold in a crowded sports landscape is a surge in interest in the NCAA game that has translated to highly encouraging viewership numbers and record attendances at numerous schools.
“We pulled the trigger at this time to create ‘real pro volleyball’ because we believe it is the exact right thing at the exact right time,” Whinham said. “Why do we believe that? One of the main reasons is because of what the television viewership for NCAA women’s volleyball has grown into. On many of the platforms on which it is presented, it’s the third-most-viewed college sport behind football and men’s basketball.
“I alluded to converting the unconverted. Whether we’re talking about, over a little bit of time, attendance in these beautiful venues that we’ve taken on, or viewership, it’s all going to hinge on how successful we are in making people in particular markets, and across the country, care about our events and about our teams.
“The way you foster that is to make them care about your players. These players are easy to care about. The more we get their life stories, their lifestyles, their training, the challenges that they have overcome to be pros out there, the more successful the league will be.”
The Thrill are here
The arena seats 5,567 and has been open since March of 2022. It also is home to teams in the American Hockey League, the NBA G-League and the Indoor Football League.
The Thrill’s ownership group includes Andy Abboud (an executive for Las Vegas Sands) and Jon Bruning (former Attorney General of Nebraska and founder of the Bruning Law Group). Partners include the Foley Entertainment Group, which operates the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights and Henderson’s AHL franchise, and the City+Ventures investment group.
Coaching the PVF team will be Fran Flory, who retired from LSU in 2021 after 24 seasons. Aboard as an analyst and consultant is Penn State coaching legend Russ Rose. Team president is Ruben Herrera, a former marketing executive for Red Bull who has deep ties to the Las Vegas volleyball community. Along with Alisha Childress, the franchise’s first player signee, they took part in an unveiling ceremony Monday at the arena.
“It’s an honor to build a world-class franchise for Las Vegas,” Herrara said. “Being built from the ground up right here in Vegas gives us a special edge that fans will love. I believe we are destined for greatness thanks to the support of our ownership group, city officials, executive team, head coach, and of course, our devoted players and fans.”
Added Flory: “I’ve been dubbed the winningest coach in LSU’s volleyball program history, so to take my career to this level of pristine professionalism was a natural step alongside the most talented players in women’s volleyball. I’m already so proud of our potential this season and we look forward to success as we take the court for the first time in February.”
College draft slithers around in two weeks
The league announced the order for its college draft that will be held on December 11 in Atlanta. Any women’s player aged 18 or older enrolled at a junior college or college is eligible.
The draft will be five rounds and will use a “snake” format. The No. 7 team will get consecutive selections and the end of Rounds 1 and 3, and the beginning of Rounds 2 and 4. The No. 1 team will pick consecutively at the end of Rounds 2 and 4 and the start of Rounds 3 and 5.
The draft order in the first round is as follows: 1. Columbus Fury; 2. San Diego Mojo; 3. Vegas Thrill; 4. Grand Rapids Rise; 5. Orlando Valkyries; 6. Atlanta Vibe; 7. Omaha Supernovas.
Being picked by the PVF does not affect players’ college eligibility, since they are not required to declare for the draft. Whinham noted that each league team will have two special roster spots reserved for draft-eligible players.
“It’s going to be tough for rookies to make these teams,” he said. “That’s a way to make sure some of these younger women get a fair chance.”
Should ace the “eye test”
Some PVF teams held minicamps earlier in November, giving coaches initial looks at their rosters, with many of the players having recently come off the five-week Athletes Unlimited season.
“In the last two weeks or so, I’ve had the opportunity to see the minicamps in San Diego and Columbus,” Whinham said. “You can imagine how gratifying it is after all the time we’ve put into building this to witness 6-on-6 on the court. I have been in sports my entire life and it was AMAZING to see the level of play in those gyms.”
Even if the nascent PVF does not initially have the top stars of the U.S. national team who play professionally overseas, its jumping-off point is at a level that eclipses startup ventures in the 1960s and ‘70s such as the AFL, ABA and WHA, all of which had to compete against well-established leagues. Its rosters include standouts such as Leah Edmond, Morgan Hentz, Claire Chaussee, Allie Linnehan, Tori Dixon, Brooke Nuneviller, Sidney Hilley, Sarah Sponcil, Hannah Tapp, Molly McCage, Yossiana Pressley and Lindsey Vander Weide.
“People are going to be extremely pleased and impressed when they watch the result of having a 15-16 player roster that you’re practicing with together every day,” Whinham predicted. “These women are among the best players in the country. We’re not entering the American pro sports landscape with a ‘niche’ league or a minor league. We will run at the highest level and I’m confident people are going to see that from Day 1.”
Around the PVF
The San Diego franchise announced that its nickname will be the Mojo and that its mascot will be an osprey. The release sent out by the team contained this hilarious outpouring of hyperbole: “The Mojo are not soaring on this journey alone. Like the mighty ospreys that have recently made their triumphant return to San Diego, the courage and mojo are fueled by relentless hearts and determined desire to not only survive, but to thrive.” The Mojo are owned in part by Kerri Walsh-Jennings, a three-time Olympic gold medalist on the beach. …
A familiar name joined the ownership group of the Columbus Fury: Burrow. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, along with his parents, Jimmy and Robin, have bought into the team. Jimmy also is the director of brand advancement for the PVF. …
Missy and Kent McCarthy were announced as the owners of the Kansas City franchise that is scheduled to join the PVF for the 2025 season. The McCarthys hold interests in baseball’s Kansas City Royals and the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. Kent is founder of the investment firm Jayhawk Capital Management LLC.
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