(WXYZ) — A new kind of sports bar is popping up in Detroit, and it is dedicated entirely to women's sports.
Watch Carli Petrus's video report:
Bar IX does not have its own permanent location yet, but it is hosting pop-up events at local bars, including The Meantime on Cass Avenue. The concept comes as interest in women's sports continues to grow, arriving just in time for the first national broadcast of the Professional Women's Hockey League in the U.S.
"We’ve always wondered what if we could go to a bar and not have to fight to have the game on the television," Alissa Graff said.
Graff is turning that idea into a reality by bringing Detroit’s first bar dedicated to women’s sports.
"It’s a common misconception that Bar IX is only for women. It is a bar for everyone. It is a bar that is celebrating and highlighting women’s sports specifically and that is an entertainment space for everyone," Graff said.
She named the venture Bar IX, inspired by Title IX, the landmark 1972 law that expanded opportunities for women in education and sports.
"We want to make sure that, that history is acknowledged and we bring it into the modern day in a lot of different ways," Graff said.
The venture is personal for Graff and was shaped by her mother’s influence.
"She was a beneficiary of Title IX, it was implemented just a few years before she was in college and she had the opportunity to play college basketball on a scholarship, which she didn’t even know could have been a possibility when she was in high school to start, and because she played college basketball, she encouraged me," Graff said.
Even without a permanent location, Bar IX is already seeing success and drawing big crowds at pop-ups across the city.
"We’ve had anywhere up to 120 people at some of our events," Graff said.
The momentum aligns with growing interest in women's sports.
"Just had the Olympics and this really exciting women’s hockey moment," fan Sam Poeppelman said.
The group's next big event is an outing for the PWHL takeover tour, marking the league’s first national broadcast. More than 175 seats are reserved for Bar IX followers to watch together.
Poeppelman said she will be there.
"To have the PWHL back in Detroit is just amazing," Poeppelman said.
John O'Neill will also be in attendance for his first PWHL game.
"Just pure excitement for the PWHL. I just was made aware of it recently and then I’m pretty involved in local hockey, volunteer coaching. We get to work with girls and boys and it’s just been really exciting to see just the community grow and grow," O'Neill said.
I asked O'Neill how to get more men on board with supporting women's sports.
Related Story: PWHL's first-ever nationally televised game to air from Detroit
"I think, that’s a great question, how we can get men more involved with women’s sports, I think it’s a matter of just watching. So it’s a matter of just taking a look at the game, be it basketball, be it ice hockey, and just seeing the level of play out there, the level of physicality, the passion," O'Neill said.
With more pop-ups planned and crowdfunding on the horizon, Graff hopes this is just the beginning for Bar IX.
"People are excited to watch women’s sports in community together, in a supportive environment and a place to just have a good time celebrating women’s sports," Graff said.
To stay up to date on Bar IX, you can follow their Instagram.
The PWHL game will air Saturday at 1 p.m. on ION. It will also simulcast on TV20 Detroit.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
