SeatGeek's first volleyball partner is the Minnesota Forge in a multiyear deal

SeatGeek is the founding partner of the Minnesota Forge, a multiyear deal that puts a national brand behind the women's professional volleyball team ahead of its debut in January 2027, the team and company announced.

SeatGeek is also the Forge's official ticketing partner and will power ticketing for all home matches at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul. It is the first partnership of its kind in Major League Volleyball history, according to the announcement. The Forge is SeatGeek's first volleyball organization.

Having a national brand invest deeply as the team's founding partner means a lot to a franchise that has yet to play a match, Michelle Haines, the team's president, told WCCO.

"I can't understate how much that reinforces what we're building here," she said, adding that volleyball is "certainly the next big thing."

She previously worked in the National Women's Soccer League, starting in 2022 with a club in Seattle. Joining Major League Volleyball feels like "deja vu," she said, because she sees "all the same indicators" of growing investment. The number of girls who play volleyball in the U.S. gives the sport the potential to grow even bigger, she said.

"We have not hidden that we are ambitious and we truly want to make history here," Haines said. She added that the team wants fans to feel like they're part of that.

Danielle Short, SeatGeek's head of client success and entertainment, said in the announcement that the company wants to help the Forge build a loyal fan base and become "a must-see part of Minnesota's sports scene."

The Forge, which will play at Grand Casino Arena, is run by the same group that operates the Minnesota Wild. Pedro Mendes, a former Gophers volleyball assistant coach, was named the team's head coach and general manager in January.