V.League (Japan)

The V.League () is the second-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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

Clubs This is the list of participating clubs in 2024–25 season.

Men +The men's clubs in 2024–25 season No. Region Club 1 EastHokkaido Yellow Stars 2Tsukuba United Sun GAIA 3Reve's Tochigi 4Saitama Azalea 5Chiba Zelva 6Tokyo Verdy 7Fujitsu Kawasaki Red Spirits 8Nagano GaRons 9 WestAisin Tealmare Hekinan 10Daido Steel Chita Red Star 11Veertien Mie 12Kinki Club Sfida 13Kubota Spears Osaka 14Kinden Trinity Blitz 15Hyogo Delfino 16Nara Dreamers 17Fukuoka Winning Spirits 18Fragolad Kagoshima

Women +The women's clubs in 2024–25 season No. Club 1Artemis Hokkaido 2Ligare Sendai 3Tokyo Sunbeams 4Shinshu Brilliant Aries 5Ja Gifu Rioreina 6Breath Hamamatsu 7Veertien Mie 8Kurashiki Ablaze 9Hiroshima Oilers 10Kanoa Laulea's Fukuoka 11Forest 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 Japan Volleyball League Season Winners 1967–68 Yahata Steel 1968–69 Nihon Koukan 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 Matsushita Denki 1972–73 Nihon Koukan 1973–74 Shin Nihon Steel 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 Nihon Koukan 1978–79 Shin Nihon Steel 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 Fuji Photo Film 1982–83 Shin Nihon Steel 1983–84 Fuji Photo Film 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 Shin Nihon Steel 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 NEC Blue Rockets 1992–93 Fuji Photo Film 1993–94 NEC Blue Rockets

V League Season Winners 1994–95 Suntory Sunbirds 1995–96 NEC Blue Rockets 1996–97 Osaka Blazers Sakai 1997–98 1998–99 NEC Blue Rockets 1999-00 Suntory Sunbirds 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 Toray Arrows 2005–06 Osaka Blazers Sakai

V.Premier League Season Winners 2006–07 Suntory Sunbirds 2007–08 Panasonic Panthers 2008–09 Toray Arrows 2009–10 Panasonic Panthers 2010–11 Osaka Blazers Sakai 2011–12 Panasonic Panthers 2012–13 Osaka Blazers Sakai 2013–14 Panasonic Panthers 2014–15 JT Thunders 2015–16 Toyoda Gosei Trefuerza 2016–17 Toray Arrows 2017–18 Panasonic Panthers

V.League Division 1 Season Winners 2018–19 Panasonic Panthers 2019–20 JTEKT Stings 2020–21 Suntory Sunbirds 2021–22 2022–23Wolfdogs Nagoya 2023–24Suntory Sunbirds

Women

Season Winners1967–68 Hitachi Musashi1968–69 Unitika Kaizuka1969–70 Unitika Kaizuka1970–71 Unitika Kaizuka1971–72 Unitika Kaizuka1972–73 Yashika1973–74 Hitachi Musashi1974–75 Hitachi Musashi1975–76 Hitachi1976–77 Hitachi1977–78 Hitachi1978–79 Kanebo1979–80 Unitika1980–81 Unitika1981–82 Hitachi1982–83 Hitachi1983–84 Hitachi1984–85 Hitachi1985–86 Hitachi1986–87 Hitachi1987–88 NEC1988–89 Hitachi1989–90 Ito Yokado1990–91 Hitachi1991–92 Hitachi1992–93 Hitachi1993–94 Hitachi

Season Winners1994–95 Daiei1995–96 Unitika1996–97 NEC Red Rockets1997–98 Daiei1998–99 Toyobo1999-00 NEC Red Rockets2000–01 Toyobo2001–02 Hisamitsu Springs2002–03 NEC Red Rockets2003–04 Pioneer Red Wings2004–05 NEC Red Rockets2005–06 Pioneer Red Wings2006–07 Hisamitsu Springs2007–08 Toray Arrows2008–09 Toray Arrows2009–10 Toray Arrows2010–11 JT Marvelous2011–12 Toray Arrows2012–13 Hisamitsu Springs2013–14 Hisamitsu Springs2014–15 NEC Red Rockets2015–16 Hisamitsu Springs2016–17 NEC Red Rockets2017–18 Hisamitsu Springs2018–19 Hisamitsu Springs2019–20 JT Marvelous2020–21 JT Marvelous2021–22 Hisamitsu Springs2022–23 NEC Red Rockets2023–24 NEC Red Rockets

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

SeasonMen (Division 1)Women (Division 1)Total 2018/2019 174,516 (avg 2,053 per matchday) 185,953 (avg 2,296 per matchday) 360,469 2019/2020 216,564 (avg 2,741 per matchday) 184,081 (avg 2,301 per matchday) 400,645 2020/2021 144,091 (avg 901 per matchday) 61,683 (avg 717 per matchday) 205,774 2021/2022 138,256 (avg 859 per matchday) 109,664 (avg 783 per matchday) 247,920 2022/2023 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 Records show from the new born V.League Division 1 from Season 2018/19. Season 2018/2019196220 2019/2020203238 2020/2021199248 2021/2022169251 2022/2023190248 2023/2024182235

V.League (Japan)

Bron en licentie