The Vegas Thrill are back, and it’s music to new owner Michael Landier’s ears.
The Thrill will return to Major League Volleyball for the 2027 season, made official Monday afternoon during a news conference at Lee’s Family Forum, the team’s home venue.
“I was a big fan of the Thrill before I even bought the team,” Landier said. “I was driving to an Aces game with a friend when I heard the Thrill was going on hiatus for the (2026 season) and suspending operations and players were signing with different teams. I was really disappointed.
“I looked into what I could do to bring the team back. Talking with the league and learning more about volleyball, knowing how popular a sport it is at the youth and collegiate level. We just want to get that sort of groundswell support here at the professional level.”
The team began playing in 2024 and competed at the Henderson-based arena through the 2025 season.
But its original ownership group opted out of its responsibilities after one season and the then-Professional Volleyball Federation ran the club in Year 2.
When the schedule was released for the 2026 season, after Major League Volleyball and Pro Volleyball Federation announced they were merging into one league, the Thrill weren’t part of it.
But they are now.
Landier being a big reason why.
Michigan Man
He is a 47-year-old entrepreneur who has lived in Henderson for the better part of two decades. One of his ventures is a film production company called Landier Entertainment.
He earned a graduate degree in sports management from the University of Michigan — Landier was in the same program as Raiders general manager John Spytek — and always thought about owning a professional sports team. And so he does.
“It’s amazing what I’m feeling with his vision and understanding that this is a long-term play and not an immediate return on investment or any of that,” team president Ruben Herrera said. “I basically told him the entire truth about this, how much money it was going to cost and the time it’s going to take.
“Do I believe pro volleyball in the United States is going to survive and be here? One hundred percent. Do I think we can do it in Las Vegas? For sure. But it takes resources and it takes a vision and it takes marketing dollars. Michael is willing to do all of that.”
Herrera said the team has already signed 17 players for a 26-match season that will begin in January and run until early May.
He understands how important it will be for the Thrill to draw the youth of Las Vegas to matches. Herrera owns Vegas Aces Volleyball at the club level in Henderson and has been running it for 12 years.
He remembers doubting for a while if the Thrill could return, remembers going through all the emotions of disappointment and anger and sadness. He at one point came to the conclusion that the team had given its best shot and it just simply didn’t work out.
“But then Michael gave us life again,” Herrera said. “He knows everything we went through those first two years and still loves the idea of bringing it back. I moved here in 1994 and when it came to (local sports), I knew (Aviators president and COO) Don Logan and that was it.
“But women’s volleyball has been massive for some time and continues to grow and develop. This has been a long time coming and it’s exciting that I can help develop it here in Las Vegas. This isn’t work for me. This is something I love.”
Major markets
Jaime Weston, a longtime sports executive with experience that included a stint as senior vice president of marketing for the NFL, was named the first commissioner of Major League Volleyball in March.
She talks about the importance of bringing a team back to the Las Vegas community, to Henderson, to a market her league believes in.
“Most of our teams are in markets with other major league professional sports,” Weston said. “It says we belong. We are the major leagues and we belong in cities with pro sports, be it men or women. We don’t need to go into a city that has no other pro sports to claim success. I want to be with other pro leagues.
“When I walked into this (job) and learned Michael had purchased the team, it was exciting with his experience in tech, but really entertainment. It’s going to help me open up a whole new avenue of conversation. I look at my owners. Everybody gives me their area of strength, so to have somebody like Michael is something I’m really excited about, to partner with him.”
He has brought the Thrill back.
Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.
