MLV, PVF merge into new league for 2026
Major League Volleyball will feature eight teams, including Dallas, a salary cap and new league standards; Free agency is slated to begin on Thursday
The Omaha Supernovas will play their 2026 season in a league with many familiar faces, but under a new name — Major League Volleyball.
Earlier this year, Omaha announced that it was leaving PVF to create a new professional league. In the following months, Major League Volleyball and the Pro Volleyball Federation agreed to merge into a single organization, operating under the MLV banner, according to a press release by the leagues.
The announcement on Tuesday is the first news of the future of MLV since the initial release in January. In the following months, a group of investors aimed to launch a new operation, but conversations began to shift in early May—around the same time as PVF championships, according to Supernovas president Diane Mendenhall. At that point, the ownership groups began exploring if they could merge, she said. Even though they’ve navigated some obstacles since then, the path forward remained for the newly-named league.
“We laid the groundwork, and the base was there. We just needed to elevate the structure,” Mendenhall said. “You have this sense that everyone was on board in the belief in what we were doing and how we're structured, exactly like the pro franchises. I think that's when I knew. We had some twists and turns in the meantime, but I have so much appreciation for our ownership group.”
For the 2026 season, MLV will feature eight members, the same number as PVF did in 2025. Seven franchises carry over from last year: Atlanta, Columbus, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Omaha, Orlando and San Diego. The one difference is that the Vegas Thrill, which hosted the PVF championship match, is not slated to continue and will be replaced by a team in Dallas.
Additionally, two more teams will start playing in 2027, one in Northern California and another in Washington, D.C. They will be run by Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé and the controlling partners of MLS franchise D.C. United, respectively.
“I’m incredibly excited to bring MLV to Northern California,” Ranadivé said in a statement. “Women’s volleyball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, with fan interest and viewership at an all-time high. We have a unique opportunity to build something special, elevate these phenomenal athletes, and create unforgettable fan experiences.”
On Monday, Sportico reported that PVF raised $40 million as part of the transaction, which valued the combined leagues at more than $325 million.
MLV will implement a new financial system for roster management. Instead of maximum and minimum salaries, each team will have a salary cap of $1.2 million for a roster of 12 to 16 players. Last year, each team could sign up to 14 players and carry two practice players.
Franchises can start talking with players from last season’s roster immediately, and free agency begins Thursday at 4 p.m. Central. MLV also plans to hold a draft around late November.
Despite the new branding, the league will carry forward the PVF history and records and considers 2026 its third season.
“To see the sport continue to grow with the consolidation of these teams and their leaders elevates the excitement level to new heights,” PVF CEO Jen Spicher said in a release. “Our belief in the team-ownership model that we played under for the first two seasons is stronger than ever and will showcase the sport at a greater level throughout the nation.”
As part of MLV, the league will establish minimum operational standards for each franchise. Mendenhall said the specific details are still being finalized.
However, fans in Omaha, which averaged just under 11,000 fans per match last season, might not notice much difference. The Supernovas will continue to play their matches at CHI Health Center in downtown Omaha. Mendenhall said they will review every aspect of game days to improve everything from the tunnel walk to fan engagement opportunities and beyond.
“Next year will have so many more opportunities to just elevate the fan experience, and when you do that, the fan base grows even more,” she said. “There is just such a united front across all these teams of how do we help each other? We are fortunate to be that crown jewel, and we hope every franchise mimics Nova Nation in the coming years.”
The ownership group for the Supernovas will remain unchanged, with Danny White, Jason Derulo, and Kirk Thompson still part of it. Benjamin Priest will serve as the governing co-owner. Additionally, they welcomed Dharpan Randhawa, who was a regional executive at McLaren Technology Group, to the ownership group as a commercial advisor to help secure more national sponsorships.
Mendenhall said that since the initial announcement, Omaha’s ownership group has been heavily involved in the negotiations for MLV’s future. She focused on the 2025 season, but they provided updates and conversations on the direction of the franchise.
Despite the uncertainty of the future since the end of last season, Mendenhall said their business partners have remained loyal and continued to invest in the team. Sponsorship deals grew by 60 percent last year, and the renewal rate from that group, which included a court sponsorship from Kiewit Corporation, remained high despite the lack of league information.
With the league format finalized, Mendenhall and other team leaders can turn their focus to the 2026 season. The start of free agency will be a blank slate for all parts of the team. While they hope to have players sign long-term contracts eventually, there is no carryover from last season.
Mendenhall wasn’t able to engage with the head coach Laura “Bird” Kuhn and the previous coaching staff until the league agreement was finalized, but she hopes to have news regarding the staff soon.
Now with the league structure set, the Supernovas will communicate with fans about season tickets and other details. Mendenhall said she is thankful for their patience as they worked through everything, but is excited to reengage with them and lay out the vision for the future.
“I think you're going to see tremendous growth of Nova Nation, and I think there'll be serious FOMO out there,” she said. “A year ago, sometimes you had to explain who the Supernovas were. Now you don't, and it's growing so fast.”
(Top photo courtesy Omaha Supernovas; other images couresty Major League Volleyball)