History would have been made tonight no matter who won. For the first time in NCAA Championships history, two female-led teams were fighting to earn the national volleyball title. However, the atmosphere at the KFC Yum! Center left no mystery as to who the home side fans want to win. Even Louisville’s own Jack Harlow was among the audience, showing support for his home team.

The media spotted the Grammy Award-nominated rapper sitting courtside with front-row seats to the action. “What’s poppin’ @jackharlow,” the NCAA Women’s Volleyball page on X captioned their post, referencing the hit that got the musician his Grammy nomination. Yet, the chart-topping rapper’s presence underscores the growing popularity of women’s volleyball.

It’s not uncommon to find celebrities in the stands of pro basketball, baseball, or football games. However, having an internationally renowned musician like Jack Harlow attend a college volleyball game is quite rare. Yet, there’s more than one reason why the rapper decided to attend the 2024 NCAA Volleyball Championship final. The obvious reason is the importance of the clash.

The final match was the first time the two female coaches clashed in a national championship match. “I think the historic thing is that finally a female is going to win a national championship, and you know that’s one of the ‘silver linings’ in all this,” Nebraska coach John Cook has said about the final after Penn State defeated this team in the finals.

However, the second reason would be the musician’s love for his hometown and Kentucky. Jack Harlow has performed in Kentucky annually for the past four years, no matter how hectic his schedule got. Even the name of the tour, ‘No Place Like Home,’ is an homage to his roots. This year the rapper performed with the Louisville Orchestra. However, there may be a third reason why the 26-year-old attended the NCAA final.

Jack Harlow doesn’t hide his love for sports

Besides reaching milestones such as making the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, the Atherton High School alum Jackman Thomas, aka Jack Harlow, played sports in high school. He was part of the school’s varsity soccer team. And while Harlow chose a different career, the rapper’s love for sports stayed alive. A huge Chelsea F.C. fan, he has traveled to England multiple times to watch his favorite team in action.

So it’s not surprising that the rapper didn’t miss his hometown college volleyball team taking a shot at making history. And while the match didn’t go Louisville volleyball’s way, who lost the match to Penn State (25-23, 32-34, 25-20, 25-17), Jack Harlow was present to watch history unfold at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville.

Who knows? This match might have even inspired the 26-year-old to invest in volleyball. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time the rapper would contribute to supporting sports in Louisville. The ‘First Class’ singer joined the ownership group of two Louisville soccer teams, Louisville City and Racing Louisville FC, in August 2024. He even has a partnership with sports brand New Balance.

Earlier this year, Jack Harlow partnered with New Balance to launch his signature shoe. “My first sneaker. The Rose Runner. Out this Friday,” the rapper posted on October 1, 2024. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise if Jack Harlow attends any future high-stakes matches involving Louisville. Yet, do you think the rapper’s presence is an indication of volleyball’s growing popularity in Louisville? Tell us in the comments.