CVL (China) 2025/26

The Chinese Volleyball League (CVL) operates as the premier professional volleyball competition within China. Now branded as the Chinese Volleyball Super League (CVSL), the tournament is governed by the Chinese Volleyball Association (CVA). It reached full professional status in 1996 and adopted its current name in 2017 after commercial rights were tendered. The league features separate men’s and women’s divisions, each containing 14 clubs. The season begins with a regular phase that splits teams into Division A, comprising the top eight sides, and Division B, which holds the remaining six. Division A teams play a round-robin format, with the highest-ranked clubs advancing to semi-finals decided over three matches and finals contested over five. A specific internal promotion and relegation system determines squad composition for the following year, requiring the lowest-placed teams from Division A to face the leaders of Division B in qualification matches.

Shanghai Bright has established dominance in the men’s competition, securing 18 titles and holding a record nine consecutive championships between 2003 and 2012. In the women’s division, Tianjin Bohai Bank claims 16 titles, including a ten-title streak from 2010 to 2020. The current champions for the 2024–25 season are Shanghai Bright and Jiangsu Zenith Steel. The league also functions as a qualification route for the Asian Men’s and Women’s Champions League. This structure distinguishes the CVSL from the National Games, which showcases provincial state-sponsored teams and carries greater political weight for regional administrators. The CVSL prioritizes professional club identity and commercial viability over regional representation. Guangdong Evergrande entered the league as the first fully professional club, winning the title in 2011–12 before financial difficulties forced their relegation. The competition expanded from 12 to 14 teams during the 2017 reforms alongside the introduction of corporate sponsorship models.