V.League (Japan)
Top-level semi-professional volleyball league in Japan
Current season, competition or edition: 2023–24 V.League Division 1 Men's2023–24 V.League Division 1 Women's | |
 | |
| Sport | Volleyball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1994; 30 years ago (1994) |
| No. of teams | Men: 10 Women: 12 |
| Country | Japan |
| Most recent champion(s) | Men: Suntory Sunbirds Women: NEC Red Rockets (2023–24) |
| Most titles | Men: Shin Nihon Steel (16) (later; Osaka Blazers Sakai) Women: Hitachi (17) |
| TV partner(s) | V.TV by Easy sports |
| Related competitions | V.Challenge League |
| Official website | vleague.jp |
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.
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
V.League
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]
S-V League
The Japan volleyball league organization held an online press conference on January 15 to explain a new league to be launched in the 2024–25 season. Under the philosophy of "strong, broad, and connected to society," the league aims to become the world's top league by 2030.[4]
This new league is a mid-tern project called V.LEAGUE REBORN. The official name of the new league is S-V League. S stands for Strong, Spread and Sociaty.[5] S-V League will replace V.League as the highest level of Japanese volleyball league.
S-V League as a highest level league and the necessary requirements to be licensed include:[6]
- The main arena can accommodate more than 5,000 people and more than 80% of the home games are held there;
- Annual revenue of more than 600 million yen;
- Having youth teams under the age of 18 and under the age of 15;
- A dedicated clubhouse;
The relation with V.League
For teams that do not wish to join the S-V 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.[7]
Clubs (2022–23 season)
The League currently consists of the following member clubs:
Men (10 teams)[8]
- JTEKT Stings
- Panasonic Panthers
- JT Thunders Hiroshima
- Toray Arrows
- Wolfdogs Nagoya
- Tokyo Great Bears
- Oita Miyoshi Weisse Adler
- VC Nagano Tridents
- Suntory Sunbirds
- Sakai Blazers
Women (12 teams)[9]
Previous winners
- 1967–68 to 1993–94: Japan Volleyball League
- 1994–95 to 2005–06: V League
- 2006–07 to 2017–18: V.Premier League
- 2018–19 to present: V.League Division 1
Men
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Women
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Spectators
Records show from the new born V.League Division 1 from Season 2018/19.
| Season | Men (Division 1) | Women (Division 1) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018/2019[10] | 174,516 (avg 2,053 per matchday) | 185,953 (avg 2,296 per matchday) | 360,469  |
| 2019/2020[11] | 216,564 (avg 2,741 per matchday) | 184,081 (avg 2,301 per matchday) | 400,645 |
| 2020/2021[12] | 144,091 (avg 901 per matchday) | 61,683 (avg 717 per matchday) | 205,774  |
| 2021/2022[13] | 138,256 (avg 859 per matchday) | 109,664 (avg 783 per matchday) | 247,920 |
| 2022/2023[14] | 263,221 (avg 1,431 per matchday) | 197,863 (avg 1,192 per matchday) | 461,084 |
Registered players
Records show from the new born V.League Division 1 from Season 2018/19.
| Season | Men (Division 1) | Women (Division 1) |
|---|---|---|
| 2018/2019[15] | 196 | 220 |
| 2019/2020[16] | 203 | 238 |
| 2020/2021[17] | 199 | 248 |
| 2021/2022[18] | 169 | 251 |
| 2022/2023[19] | 190 | 248 |
See also
Volleyball portal
- V.Challenge League
- Emperor's Cup and Empress' Cup All Japan Volleyball Championship
- Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Tournament
- Asian Men's Club Volleyball Championship
- Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship
- FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship
References
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "【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.
- ^ "【バレー】Vリーグ機構 2024年からの新リーグ参加要件となるクラブライセンス概要を発表（月刊バレーボール）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-06-24.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "一般社団法人日本バレーボールリーグ機構".
- ^ "一般社団法人日本バレーボールリーグ機構".
- ^ "第 14 期事業報告" (PDF).
- ^ "第 15 期事業報告" (PDF).
- ^ "第 16 期事業報告" (PDF).
- ^ "第 17 期事業報告" (PDF).
- ^ "第 18 期事業報告" (PDF).
- ^ "V. League Report Year 2018" (PDF).
- ^ "V. League Report Year 2019" (PDF).
- ^ "V. League Report Year 2020" (PDF).
- ^ "V. League Report Year 2021" (PDF).
- ^ "V. League Report Year 2022" (PDF).
External links
- Official website (in Japanese)
- Japan V.League Division 1. women.volleybox.net (in English)
- NEW BORN V.LEAGUE (in Japanese)
- v
- t
- e
2023–24 V.League Division 1 Men's
