New Project Announcement!

This week, Split Zone Duo celebrates a major milestone: welcoming Six Zone Duo. This episode explains what we’re doing. Find it here:

* Subscribe to the YouTube channel

* Apple Podcasts (Listen and leave a review!)

* Spotify (Listen and leave a star rating)

* Any other podcasting app, pretty much

* Follow on Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky, Twitter, and Threads.

Here’s more from Richard:

How did we get here? The quick backstory.

Alex and I had wondered for a while what a second show might look like—ideally, one that would be part of our broader universe without being hosted by us. We considered all kinds of ideas: the NFL, non-sports topics, and something centered on women’s sports. But women’s sports aren’t a monolith. Would it be a generalist show? Would it cover softball, soccer, or basketball?

As we brainstormed, we kept coming back to volleyball. We began looking more closely at a sport whose viewership was exploding, and it was easy to understand why. One night last December, I couldn’t sleep and turned on highlights from the NCAA tournament. The matches were fast-paced, and the athleticism of the women on the court was remarkable.

We also started learning about the emerging professional leagues, LOVB and MLV. Pretty much everyone we spoke with in the sports business world and college athletics agreed that volleyball has all the ingredients for a boom. But one point kept coming up: Beyond the matches themselves, the sport isn’t covered in very many places. And there’s no good reason for that.

So we decided to find someone who could build a show and help fill the void. But who?