SAN FRANCISCO SIGNAL TO MAKE BILL GRAHAM CIVIC AUDITORIUM HOME FOR INAUGURAL 2027 SEASON
Iconic San Francisco venue will welcome professional women’s volleyball beginning in January 2027; season and group deposit tickets are now on sale
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — September 18, 2026 — San Francisco Signal, the Bay Area’s new professional women’s volleyball team and a member of League One Volleyball (LOVB), today announced that the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium will serve as its home venue for the inaugural 2027 season.
Located in the heart of San Francisco’s Civic Center, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium will give the Signal an opportunity to create a distinctive new sports experience, combining world-class competition with the culture, energy and creativity of the Bay Area.
“San Francisco is proud to welcome the San Francisco Signal, LOVB, and the highest level of professional volleyball to the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. This is a city that shows up for our sports teams, and fans will now have the chance to watch Olympic medalists and world champions compete right here in San Francisco,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie. “The San Francisco Signal are another big win for our city, our fans, and the next generation of girls who will see what is possible.”
Operated by Another Planet Entertainment, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium has been one of San Francisco’s great gathering places for more than a century. Located adjacent to City Hall, the venue has welcomed generations of concerts, sporting events, cultural moments and civic gatherings. Its central location, scale and flexibility make it uniquely suited to the experience the Signal intends to create.
“The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium gives us the opportunity to create the kind of home we envisioned for the Signal – iconic, energetic and distinctly Bay Area,” said Stephanie Martin, President and Co-Founder of San Francisco Signal. “It is a legendary San Francisco venue with the scale and flexibility to deliver an incredible professional volleyball experience while keeping every fan close to the action. We’re excited to bring athletes, fans and communities from across the region together in a building known for unforgettable moments, and to open an entirely new chapter for it through women’s sports.”
Rather than adapt to a traditional arena configuration, the Signal will build a custom match-day environment within The Civic. The venue’s flexible footprint will allow the team to create an electric competition setting alongside dedicated spaces for hospitality, community, partners and entertainment.
The result will bring together world-class volleyball and the spirit of San Francisco, with the goal of making every Signal match one of the city’s must-attend live experiences.
“Volleyball is fast, physical and incredibly intimate when you experience it live,” Martin said. “We want to preserve that connection to the court while creating something much bigger around it. Whether you have played volleyball your entire life or are attending your first match, we want walking into the Bill Graham Civic Auditoratorium to feel like you have arrived at something special.”
The Bay Area has quickly emerged as a national leader in women’s sports, powered by exceptional fan support, ambitious investment and the success of its professional teams. The Signal will build on that momentum while bringing one of the world’s most popular sports to a region with a deeply established volleyball community spanning youth, collegiate, recreational and elite competition.
“Today marks an important step toward establishing the San Francisco Signal as a defining part of the Bay Area’s sports landscape,” said Jes Wolfe, Chairwoman and Co-Founder of the Signal. “We have assembled an extraordinary group of athletes, owners and leaders who believe in what women’s sports can become. At The Civic, we have a stage worthy of that ambition, one that puts women athletes center stage and creates an unforgettable setting for our inaugural season.”
The franchise is backed by an accomplished ownership group of Olympic medalists, world champions, entrepreneurs, business leaders and Bay Area sports icons united by a shared vision to elevate women’s sports and expand access to volleyball.
Signal owners include Bay FC co-founders Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne and Danielle Slaton; Olympic medalists Abby Wambach, Natalie Coughlin, Lindsey Berg and Kate Johnson; Bay Area Olympians and NCAA champions Alix Klineman, Julie Foudy, Ali Riley and Alysia Montaño; and Bay Area sports champions Steve Kerr, Ronnie Lott and Jeremy Lin, among others.
The Signal’s inaugural roster brings together elite athletes from six countries, including Olympians, international stars and NCAA standouts, with four players returning home to the Bay Area. The team is led by Head Coach Alfee Reft and founding athlete Kelsey Robinson Cook, a three-time Olympic medalist and Santa Cruz native.
Beyond the court, the Signal is committed to using professional sports to create greater access and opportunity throughout the region. The team plans to welcome young people from underserved communities to matches, invest in youth volleyball programming and create new pathways for women in coaching and sports leadership.
“Our impact should extend far beyond what happens on match day,” said Chantell Preston, San Francisco Signal Co-Founder. “We want young people across the Bay Area to see themselves in this team, experience the sport at its highest level and discover new opportunities to play, coach and lead. That is the legacy we want the Signal to build.”
San Francisco Signal will begin its inaugural LOVB season in January 2027. Founding Memberships including season tickets are now on sale by joining The Nine, the Signal's membership program. With today’s announcement, group ticket deposits are now available. Single match tickets will be available with the release of the League One Volleyball 2026-2027 schedule later this fall.
About San Francisco Signal
San Francisco Signal is the Bay Area’s professional women’s volleyball team, beginning play in 2027 as part of League One Volleyball (LOVB), the largest youth-to-professional volleyball ecosystem in the United States. Built by a women-led ownership group alongside athletes, business leaders and community members, the Signal is creating a modern professional sports franchise rooted in elite competition, community and culture. For more information, visit www.sanfranciscosignal.com and follow @sanfranciscosignal.
Media Contact
Kent Luetzen
Glodow Nead Communications
sanfranciscosignal@glodownead.com
701.340.2323
