“There are applicants”: Ricky Palou on potential new PVL teams

The 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) season is set to tip off this weekend, with the league officially opening its calendar on Saturday, January 31, as the All-Filipino Conference preliminary round gets underway at the FilOil Center in San Juan City.

While the new season marks another chapter for the country’s top professional volleyball league, this year’s All-Filipino Conference will feature a reduced field of 10 teams. The downsized lineup follows the exit of the Chery Tiggo Crossovers in December last year and the Petro Gazz Angels, who announced earlier this month that they would be taking a leave of absence from league play.

Despite the departure of two established franchises, PVL president Ricky Palou expressed confidence in the league’s stability and long-term growth, revealing that several companies have already shown interest in joining the competition.

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“Dalawa nga, Cebu-based. But we are not just gonna let them come in that easy. We have to also study what capabilities they have, will they be able to stay with the league for a longer period of time,” Palou said during the PVL’s press conference in Ortigas.

Palou emphasized that while expansion remains a goal, the league is taking a cautious approach in evaluating potential new teams to ensure sustainability and competitive balance.

WATCH: PVL President Ricky Palou admits sustainability of the teams a point of concern as Chery Tiggo disbands and Petro Gazz takes a leave of absence from the league. #PVL2026 @ABSCBNNews pic.twitter.com/a1gkRHwPPO

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“If they are financially capable of maintaining a team that long. Those are the things we are looking at right now. But there are applicants,” he added.

According to Palou, should the evaluation process move smoothly, newly approved teams could begin competing as early as the next PVL conference, signaling the league’s openness to gradual expansion. He also clarified that the PVL continues to keep the door open for Petro Gazz, which recently captured the 2025 Reinforced Conference title before announcing its temporary exit.

“They still want to be part of the league. So we are in talks with them on possible sponsorships. They are willing to still be involved in the activities of the league,” Palou continued.

The PVL has seen multiple teams and franchises step away from the league since 2021, sparking ongoing discussions about the financial demands required to sustain a professional volleyball team. Rising operational costs—ranging from player salaries and coaching staff to logistics and marketing—have become a growing concern for team owners.

Palou acknowledged these challenges and revealed that the league has been actively discussing ways to ease the financial burden on its member teams.

“Internally, we have been discussing some issues on how we can do to actually help the teams. We know it is getting more expensive for the teams to keep up, keep their teams together. I understand teams are now spending like P60, P75-million a year in maintaining a team. To us, this is a concern. We’d like to have the teams reduce the expenses and right now we are in talks on how to do this,” he concluded.

As the 2026 season begins, the PVL finds itself balancing growth with sustainability—aiming to preserve the league’s competitive level while ensuring that franchises are financially equipped for long-term participation. With discussions ongoing and potential new teams on the horizon, league officials remain optimistic that the PVL can continue to evolve while addressing the realities of operating a professional sports league in the country.

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