The V.League 1 (Japanese: Vリーグ) is the top-level professional volleyball league for both men and women in Japan. The league started in 1994.

J.V League
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2024–25 V.League Division 1 Men's
2024–25 V.League Division 1 Women's
SportVolleyball
Founded1994; 30 years ago (1994)
No. of teamsMen: 18
Women: 11
CountryJapan
Most recent
champion(s)
Men: Suntory Sunbirds
Women: NEC Red Rockets
(2023–24)
Most titlesMen: Shin Nihon Steel (16)
(later; Osaka Blazers Sakai)
Women: Hitachi (17)
TV partner(s)V.TV by Easy sports
Related
competitions
SV.League
Official websitevleague.jp
(Men Women)

The competitions are organized by the Japan Volleyball League Organization. The league was called V.Premier League before the reform took place in 2018.

History

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V.League

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In 2016, the Japan Volleyball League Organization, which hosts Premier League, held a press conference in Tokyo and announced plans to create a new league and aim for professionalization. They plan to recruit participating teams by the end of November and aim to start in the fall of 2018.[1][2]

This project to create a new league was called NEW BORN V.LEAGUE. The new league was named V.League. The new V.League aims to promote the "sports business" of volleyball by realizing a system of "earning through sports and returning the profits to sports" without being bound by conventional concepts. In addition, the V.League aims to further enhance the value of volleyball, push volleyball up to Japan's top arena sports, connect with the world, and become the world's best volleyball league.[3]

Creation of SV.League

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The Japan Volleyball League Organization would create the SV.League as the newest top-flight volleyball organization Japan placing it above the V.League.[4][5]

For teams that do not wish to join the SV.League, both men's and women's leagues will be unified into one division under the name of V.League. The East-West Conference system will be introduced.[6]

Clubs (2022–23 season)

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The League currently consists of the following member clubs:

Previous winners

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Women

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Spectators

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Records show from the new born V.League Division 1 from Season 2018/19.

Season Men (Division 1) Women (Division 1) Total
2018/2019[9] 174,516 (avg 2,053 per matchday) 185,953 (avg 2,296 per matchday) 360,469  
2019/2020[10] 216,564 (avg 2,741 per matchday) 184,081 (avg 2,301 per matchday) 400,645  
2020/2021[11] 144,091 (avg 901 per matchday) 61,683 (avg 717 per matchday) 205,774  
2021/2022[12] 138,256 (avg 859 per matchday) 109,664 (avg 783 per matchday) 247,920  
2022/2023[13] 263,221 (avg 1,431 per matchday) 197,863 (avg 1,192 per matchday) 461,084  
2023/2024 402,270 (avg 2,180 per matchday) 133,993 (avg 964 per matchday) TBA

Registered players

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Records show from the new born V.League Division 1 from Season 2018/19.

Season Men (Division 1) Women (Division 1)
2018/2019[14] 196 220
2019/2020[15] 203 238
2020/2021[16] 199 248
2021/2022[17] 169 251
2022/2023[18] 190 248
2023/2024[19] 182 235

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "バレーボールリーグ機構 新リーグとプロ化を構想を発表 - スポニチ Sponichi Annex スポーツ". スポニチ Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  2. ^ "Vリーグを世界のトップリーグへ 「Vリーグの未来構想」について". 一般社団法人日本バレーボールリーグ機構. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  3. ^ "2018/19シーズン 新リーグ名称・ロゴデザイン決定のお知らせ 記者会見を開催!". 一般社団法人日本バレーボールリーグ機構. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  4. ^ 只木信昭 (2023-02-15). "2024年発足の新Vリーグ構想を説明 30年をメドに世界最高峰リーグ目指す/バレー". サンスポ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  5. ^ "【バレー】Vリーグ機構が新リーグ構想を発表。世界最高峰を目指す「S-V.LEAGUE」を新設(バレーボールマガジン)". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  6. ^ "バレーVリーグ再編成「SVリーグ」来年10月発足「世界最高峰のリーグになるチャンスある」 - スポニチ Sponichi Annex スポーツ". スポニチ Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  7. ^ "一般社団法人日本バレーボールリーグ機構".
  8. ^ "一般社団法人日本バレーボールリーグ機構".
  9. ^ "第 14 期事業報告" (PDF).
  10. ^ "第 15 期事業報告" (PDF).
  11. ^ "第 16 期事業報告" (PDF).
  12. ^ "第 17 期事業報告" (PDF).
  13. ^ "第 18 期事業報告" (PDF).
  14. ^ "V. League Report Year 2018" (PDF).
  15. ^ "V. League Report Year 2019" (PDF).
  16. ^ "V. League Report Year 2020" (PDF).
  17. ^ "V. League Report Year 2021" (PDF).
  18. ^ "V. League Report Year 2022" (PDF).
  19. ^ "V. League Report Year 2023" (PDF).
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