V.League (Japan)
Second-level professional volleyball league in Japan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The V.League (Japanese: Vリーグ) is the second-level professional volleyball league for both men and women in Japan. The league started in 1994.
Current season, competition or edition: 2024–25 V.League Division 1 Men's2024–25 V.League Division 1 Women's | |
 | |
| Sport | Volleyball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1994 |
| No. of teams | Men: 18 Women: 11 |
| Country | Japan |
| Most recent champions | Men: Suntory Sunbirds (10th title) Women: NEC Red Rockets (9th title) (2023–24) |
| Most titles | Men: Shin Nihon Steel (16 titles) (later; Osaka Blazers Sakai) Women: Hitachi (17 titles) |
| Broadcaster | V.TV by Easy sports |
| Related competitions | SV.League |
| Official website | vleague.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. The SV.League succeeded the V.League as the premier volleyball tournament in Japan in 2024.
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]
Creation of SV.League
The Japan Volleyball League Organization created the SV.League as the newest top-flight volleyball organization in 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
This is the list of participating clubs in 2024–25 season.
Men
| No. | Region | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | East | Hokkaido Yellow Stars |
| 2 | Tsukuba United Sun GAIA | |
| 3 | Reve's Tochigi | |
| 4 | Saitama Azalea | |
| 5 | Chiba Zelva | |
| 6 | Tokyo Verdy | |
| 7 | Fujitsu Kawasaki Red Spirits | |
| 8 | Nagano GaRons | |
| 9 | West | Aisin Tealmare Hekinan |
| 10 | Daido Steel Chita Red Star | |
| 11 | Veertien Mie | |
| 12 | Kinki Club Sfida | |
| 13 | Kubota Spears Osaka | |
| 14 | Kinden Trinity Blitz | |
| 15 | Hyogo Delfino | |
| 16 | Nara Dreamers | |
| 17 | Fukuoka Winning Spirits | |
| 18 | Fragolad Kagoshima | |
Women
| No. | Club |
|---|---|
| 1 | Artemis Hokkaido |
| 2 | Ligare Sendai |
| 3 | Tokyo Sunbeams |
| 4 | Shinshu Brilliant Aries |
| 5 | Ja Gifu Rioreina |
| 6 | Breath Hamamatsu |
| 7 | Veertien Mie |
| 8 | Kurashiki Ablaze |
| 9 | Hiroshima Oilers |
| 10 | Kanoa Laulea's Fukuoka |
| 11 | Forest Leaves Kumamoto |
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 2023–24: V.League Division 1
Men
Women
|
|
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[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 |
