Minnesota will soon be home to two professional women’s volleyball teams, as Major League Volleyball Minnesota announced Tuesday that they’ll be coming to St. Paul in 2027.

The yet-to-be-named team will play at Grand Casino Arena and will be run by the same group that operates the Minnesota Wild.

Major League Volleyball is entering its third season in January with eight teams on its roster. Minnesota will be one of three additional franchises that will join in 2027.

“Interest in women’s sports is at an all-time high,” said Craig Leipold, who owns the Wild. “We chose Major League Volleyball, or MLV, because we believe it is a fantastic opportunity to invest in women’s sports.”

But Major League Volleyball won’t be alone; last week, League One Volleyball announced that they’ll be expanding to the Minnesota market.

Leipold said he had studied both leagues for a year and a half, and decided early on that women’s volleyball would be a solid investment. The draw for MLV was they would permit his team to sell sponsorships and tickets independently.

“I would say it’s definitely not ideal to be going head to head,” said Scott Gorsline, who owns the Grand Rapids franchise. “Let the chips fall where they may.”

Gorsline added that the venue would be a major draw fans for the anticipated 12 to 14 home games per season. 

The leagues are already familiar with competition; Atlanta, Georgia, and Omaha, Nebraska, each have teams representing MLV and LOVB. Gorsline said that the MLV team in Omaha boasts higher attendance numbers, but the figures in Atlanta are roughly the same.

Several athletes who competed at the University of Minnesota are on rosters for Major League Volleyball this season. That includes Regan Pittman, Kylie Murr and Sarah Wilhite-Parsons, who will make her MLV debut with Omaha in January.

When she wrapped up her collegiate career in 2016, she said the only opportunity for her to grow in her game was to play overseas, especially if she had aspirations to compete with the national team. 

“So it’s just surreal to be up here, hearing about a professional team coming to my hometown,” she said Tuesday. “The future for volleyball is just so bright.”

The colors and a logo for the Minnesota team will be announced next year. Fans can place a season ticket deposit now at MLVMinnesota.com.

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