The San Diego Mojo, one of eight teams in Major League Volleyball, will not return for a 2027 season, the organization announced Tuesday on Instagram and LinkedIn, a surprising end to a franchise that, in its final weeks, had pulled off one of the league's most improbable turnarounds.
The team, its marketing agency, and Major League Volleyball did not respond to requests for comment, but a person familiar with the organization said staff and players may have known for three or four weeks that the franchise was in jeopardy.
Thursday night's home game against the Grand Rapids Rise at Viejas Arena will be the Mojo's final match in San Diego. The organization is giving away up to eight free tickets per customer as part of its farewell. Get your free tickets here.
"From the outset, our vision included a long-term plan to support the Mojo and the San Diego market,” Mojo co-owner Gary Jacobs shared in the team’s announcement. “The league believes a different direction is required. Major Lague Volleyball remains committed to San Diego and will lead the effort to identify potential new investors to carry the Mojo forward."
The organization's announcement included notes of gratitude to the coach, players, staff, sponsors, and fans. “The memories we've built are foundational, and we are proud to have brought families and friends together through incomparable shared experiences,” the statement read.
After Thursday’s game, the team will travel to Indianapolis for its final regular-season away match on May 3 against the Indy Ignite before heading to Dallas on May 7 for the semifinals. If the Mojo win their semifinal match, they will play in the final on May 9.
The Mojo’s Grace Loberg on the attack. Credit: Miguel Mejia/MiguelMejiaPhotography
Allison Jacobs serves for the Mojo. Credit: Miguel Mejia/MiguelMejiaPhotography
A BRIEF HISTORY: FROM KERRI WALSH JENNINGS TO THE PLAYOFFS
The Mojo launched in 2024 as part of what was then known as the Pro Volleyball Federation, a professional indoor volleyball league that eventually merged with Major League Volleyball. The franchise's first season came with significant star power: Three-time Olympic gold medalist and beach volleyball icon Kerri Walsh Jennings was a founding figure, lending the team national name recognition. Walsh Jennings later parted ways with the team.
In 2025, the franchise was sold to Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs. Under their ownership, the Mojo played out the 2025 season before heading into what became its final campaign.
This season has been, by any measure, remarkable. Written off after a 1-6 start, the Mojo have gone 13-6 since, transforming a lost season into a playoff run. They sit at 14-12 with two matches to go and a postseason spot already locked up. The team has made the playoffs in two of its three seasons.
VENUE, MARKET CHALLENGES COMPLICATED THE PICTURE
Behind the scenes, sources say the Mojo faced a confluence of structural challenges that made sustained success in San Diego difficult.
A source familiar with the organization noted that Viejas Arena where the Mojo played may not have been the right fit, given scheduling conflicts and its large 12,000+ capacity relative to the number of fans who regularly attended Mojo games.
The source expressed optimism about San Diego's long-term potential as a volleyball market, citing the city's beach volleyball culture, noting that a successful return might require a smaller venue and potentially stronger marketing campaign from both the team and league.
THE LEAGUE LANDSCAPE: MAJOR LEAGUE VOLLEYBALL FACES COMPETITION FROM LEAGUE ONE VOLLEYBALL
The Mojo's folding comes as Major League Volleyball navigates a competitive and rapidly evolving professional landscape.
In March, MLV appointed Jaime Weston as its first commissioner. Weston, who comes from the NBA, brings deep professional sports management experience to the position, which could offer a boost to the MLV.
At the same time, MLV faces direct competition from League One Volleyball, LOVB (pronounced "LUV"), a rival professional volleyball league that operates on a different model. LOVB currently fields six professional teams and will expand to nine next season, including new franchises in Los Angeles and San Francisco that could further test the California sports market.
LOVB hosted its 2026 championship in Long Beach, a move designed to build fan excitement and establish a California presence heading into the 2027 season.
See where the MLV and LOVB teams play. Dark grey icons represent MLV teams. Blue Icons represent teams in LOVB, including 2027 expansion teams in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Minnesota.
