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Pickleball in the United States

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Pickleball in the United States
Pickleball courts in La Crosse, Wisconsin
Governing bodyUSA Pickleball
Nickname(s)Pukaball
First played1965

Pickleball, a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis,[1] was invented in the United States in 1965, on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Since its introduction the sport has steadily increased in popularity. In 2022, pickleball was named the official state sport of Washington.[2]

For four years in a row, 2021 through 2024, the sport was named the fastest-growing sport in the United States by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association.[3] The 2024 report found that there were 19.8 million participants that year, a 311% growth since 2021.[4]

History

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See also: Pickleball § History

Pickleball was invented in 1965 by Joel Pritchard and two friends, Barney McCallum and Bill Bell. Pritchard later became the 14th Lieutenant Governor of the state of Washington. Over that summer Pritchard and his friends refined the game rules and equipment at Pritchard’s summer home on Bainbridge Island, Washington.[5][6] The original court made use of an existing badminton court, but the first dedicated pickleball court was built in 1967 at the Washington home of another of Pritchard’s friends, Bob O’Brien.[7]

By 1968 the game had become popular with many of the inventor’s friends and neighbors. This prompted Pritchard, McCallum's son David, and two others, to form Pickle Ball, Inc., a company that promoted the sport and sold the necessary equipment.[8] Interest in the game continued spreading throughout the Pacific Northwest. Snowbirds in the region brought the game south to California, Arizona, Florida, and Hawaii. By 1990 the sport was being played in all 50 states.[7]

College level pickleball

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Pickleball has not been sanctioned by the US National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). USA Pickleball and other organizations are pursuing the possibility of NCAA recognition. Meanwhile, numerous college campuses have independently formed pickleball clubs.[9] As of March 2025 USA Pickleball listed 166 colleges and universities with active pickleball clubs. [10]

Collegiate Pickleball Tour

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DUPR, known for its pickleball player rating software, held the first college national championship, the DUPR Collegiate National Championship, in November 2022 with 16 teams that were invited to compete.[11][12] DUPR held regional qualifiers in each of the following two years to determine which teams would compete in the Collegiate National Championship competition. DUPR also held Collegiate Individual National Championships that permitted college players to compete outside of the team format.[13]

In January 2025 DUPR announced a partnership with the United Pickleball Association to form the Collegiate Pickleball Tour (CPT) which will culminate in a Collegiate National Championship (CNC). The 2025 CNC will be held at Life Time Peachtree Corners in Atlanta, GA. After the CNC is held, a Collegiate World Championship (CWC) will be held, where collegiate players form all countries will be invited to participate.[14][15]‍

DUPR Collegiate National Championship results
Year Date Schools Location Prize Pool 1st place 2nd place Ref
2022 Nov 18-19 16 Dripping Springs, TX $10,000 University of North Carolina Utah Tech University [16][17]
2023 Nov 17-19 36 Peachtree Corners, GA $32,000 University of Virginia University of North Carolina [18][19]
2024 Nov 1-3 64 Dallas, TX $32,000 Utah Tech University University of Virginia [20][21]

National Collegiate Pickleball Association

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In January 2023 Noah Suemnick, a graduate of Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California, formed the National Collegiate Pickleball Association (NCPA). NCPA's inaugural national championships was held in March 2024 at The Hub in Spring Valley, San Diego, California. The NCPA had over 200 colleges and universities across the United States participating in 2024/2025 season.[22]

The NCPA Collegiate Tour includes several Regional Championship events, culminating with a National Collegiate Pickleball Championship (NCPC). The competitions include a D1 division, a competition between teams of 4 to 6 players that represent their school, and a D2 division, where players compete as individuals.[23]

NCPA National Collegiate Pickleball Championship results
Year Date Schools Location Prize Pool 1st place 2nd place Ref
2024 Mar 17 38 San Diego, CA $30,000 [24]
2025 Feb 14 - 16 64 Las Vegas, NV $30,000 Utah Valley University Utah Tech University [25][26]

APP U.S. Collegiate Championships

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In September 2023 the Association of Pickleball Players (APP) announced its inaugural U.S. Collegiate Championships would be held in January 2024 at the Grand Park Sports Campus, home for the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, in Westfield, Indiana. A total prize purse of $50,000 in scholarships was awarded.[27]

APP U.S. Collegiate Championships results
Year Date Schools Location Prize Pool 1st place 2nd place Ref
2024 Jan 3-7 -- Westfield, IN $50,000 Utah Tech University University of Florida [28]
2025 Mar 28-30 32 Cape Coral, FL $50,000 University of Florida University of Texas [29]

Professional pickleball

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The first professional pickleball tour, the Professional Pickleball Federation (PPF), was formed in 2016 by John Gullo. Gullo, known as "the father of professional pickleball", was inducted into the Pickleball Hall of Fame in 2024.[30] In March 2017 the PPF organization merged with the USAPA, now the USAP.[31]

The popularity of pickleball spurred the growth of investors and sponsors. As a result, two pro pickleball tours were independently formed in the United States in 2019, the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP, now the Association of Pickleball Players), and the Pickleball Professionals Association (PPA). A professional pickleball league, Major League Pickleball (MLP), was formed in 2021,[32] and a senior professional league, the National Pickleball League of Champions Pros (NPL), was formed in 2022. In 2023 the PPA and MLP merged under one umbrella organization, the United Pickleball Association (UPA).[33]

Association of Pickleball Players

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The APP and APP Tour were formed by Ken Herrmann. Herrmann aligned his tour with USA Pickleball (USAP), the original governing body of pickleball in the United States. All games are sanctioned by USAP and must abide by USAP rules.[32] The 2022 APP Tour includes 32 tournaments in five countries and has attracted an average of 800 players in each tournament. Total prize money is expected to be $2 million.[34] Originally the APP was named the Association of Pickleball Professionals, but was changed to the Association of Pickleball Players in 2023 to reflect the organizations support of both amateur and professional players.[35]

In January 2024 the APP announced that it had reached an agreement to make The Fort, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, its new permanent home and training center.[36] Founded by Brad Tuckman and Rich Campillo, and scheduled to open in December 2024, the new facility will include 43 pickleball courts, including the world's first dedicated pickleball stadium.[37]

United Pickleball Association

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Professional Pickleball Association: The PPA was formed by Connor Pardoe and based in Draper, Utah. Desiring independence to shape the tour to his liking, Pardoe did not align with USAP. Initially, the PPA required all players to sign a one–year exclusivity contract, preventing PPA players from participating in any non-PPA tours. In late 2021, Thomas Dundon purchased the PPA and extended the exclusivity contracts to 3 years. Pardoe remained CEO of the PPA Tour.[32] The 2022 PPA Tour is expected to include 20 tournaments with total prize money of $2.5 million.[38]
Major League Pickleball: The MLP was formed in 2021 by Steve Kuhn in Dripping Springs, Texas.[32] In its first year, the League consisted of 8 teams and included both APP and PPA players. The second year expanded to 12 teams, but the PPA no longer allowed their players to participate in the League. Each team consists of two men and two women. Team members are chosen by a dual snake draft designed to make teams as competitive as possible.[39] Three separate competitions are scheduled for 2022, and the winning team at each competition will win $25,000 for each team member. The winning team is also awarded the Pritchard Cup. The league will expand to 16 teams in 2023, with NFL quarterbacks Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, tennis player Naomi Osaka,[40] and NBA players LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Kevin Love buying expansion teams.[41][42][43]

National Pickleball League of Champions Pros

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The NPL is a professional pickleball league established in the United States whose members are over the age of 50. The league was established in 2022. As of 2024 the league had twelve teams with eight men and eight women on each team.[44]

References

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  1. ^ "The Essential Rules of Pickleball: A Quick Overview". Team Pickleball. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  2. ^ "Pickleball is now the official state sport of the U.S. state of Washington". KXLY. March 29, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  3. ^ Definition, Beyond. "Pickleball Sees Unprecedented Growth: Will Require 25,000 Courts Built, $900 Million Investment to Keep Up With Demand". Sports and Fitness Industry Association. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  4. ^ Flamm, Jason (March 18, 2025). "Report: Pickleball Participation Surges to Nearly 20 Million in 2024". thedinkpickleball.com. The Dink. Archived from the original on March 19, 2025. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  5. ^ Pritchard, Joan (July 27, 2008). "Origins of Pickleball". The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012.
  6. ^ "The History of Pickleball". Hoffmann Estates Pickleball. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  7. ^ a b "History of the Game". Official USAPA Website. June 27, 2013. Archived from the original on November 17, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  8. ^ Pierce, Drew (April 24, 2023). "College Pickleball: Is NCAA Pickleball on the Horizon?". Pickleball Rookie. Nice Life Media LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Campus Pickleball Clubs". USA Pickleball. March 23, 2022. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  10. ^ Radnothy, Victoria (November 2, 2024). "Everything you need to know about the 2024 DUPR Collegiate National Championship". pickleball.com. Pickleball OpCo LLC. Archived from the original on December 8, 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  11. ^ Barnes, DJ (November 30, 2022). "UNC Club Pickleball wins national championship". triangleblogblog.com. Shameful Nuisance, Inc. Archived from the original on December 8, 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  12. ^ "DUPR Collegiate Pickleball 2024 Rulebook". dupr.com. DUPR Inc. Archived from the original on April 9, 2025. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  13. ^ "Introducing the Collegiate Pickleball Tour!". dupr.com. DUPR, Inc. January 30, 2025. Archived from the original on March 29, 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  14. ^ Watson, Jeff (January 30, 2025). "The Collegiate Pickleball Tour Set to Crown the Best College Pickleball Teams in the Country with $100,000 Prize Purse up for Grabs". ppatour.com. Professional Pickleball Association. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  15. ^ Brown, Kevin (April 22, 2022). "The First Ever DUPR Collegiate National Championships". dupr.com. DUPR Inc. Archived from the original on October 10, 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  16. ^ McConnell, Brighton (November 3, 2022). "UNC Pickleball Club Wins 2022 Collegiate Title in Texas". chapelboro.com. WCHL. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  17. ^ Burton, Luke (November 15, 2023). "Biggest Collegiate Tournament in Pickleball History". thedinkpickleball.com. The Dink. Archived from the original on February 7, 2025. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  18. ^ "Virginia Dethrones UNC as National Champs". thedinkpickleball.com. The Dink. November 22, 2023. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  19. ^ Smith, Jacob (January 9, 2024). "The 2024 DUPR Collegiate Pickleball Schedule Is Here! A Guide to Everything New This Upcoming Year!". dupr.com. DUPR Inc. Archived from the original on December 14, 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  20. ^ Radnothy, Victoria (November 3, 2024). "Utah Tech wins 2024 DUPR Collegiate National Championship". pickleball.com. Pickleball OpCo LLC. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  21. ^ "Our Story". NCPA. National Collegiate Pickleball Association. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  22. ^ "Regional Tournament Formats – At-A-Glance". collegiatepb.com. Collegiate Pickleball. September 4, 2024. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  23. ^ Bower, Jake (November 25, 2025). "NCPA Fuels Growth of Collegiate Pickleball". thedinkpickleball.com. The Dink. Archived from the original on January 22, 2025. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  24. ^ "National Collegiate Pickleball Championship 2025". ncpaofficial.com. National Collegiate Pickleball Association. Archived from the original on April 9, 2025. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  25. ^ Bower, Jake (February 20, 2025). "Utah Valley Wins 2025 NCPA National Championship". thedinkpickleball.com. The Dink. Archived from the original on April 3, 2025. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  26. ^ Forziati, Adam (September 12, 2023). "APP Invites Collegiate Pickleball Teams from Across the Country to Play in New Event". thedinkpickleball.com. The Dink. Archived from the original on April 14, 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  27. ^ "UTAH TECH WINS INAUGURAL U.S. COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS". thapp.global. January 4, 2024. Archived from the original on April 3, 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  28. ^ Sagerman, Daniel (March 30, 2025). "University of Florida Wins 2024 (sic) APP U.S. Collegiate Championships Presented by PB5Star". theapp.global. Association of Pickleball Players. Archived from the original on April 6, 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  29. ^ Bhattacharyya, Debayan (September 8, 2024). "Meet John Gullo, 'The Father Of Professional Pickleball' Inducted Into Pickleball Hall Of Fame 2024". timesnownews.com. Bennett, Coleman & Company Limited. Archived from the original on October 10, 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
  30. ^ Longest, Brian (March 15, 2017). "USA Pickleball Association and Professional Pickleball Federation Join Forces". wolfepickleball.com. Wolfe Pickleball. Archived from the original on November 9, 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
  31. ^ a b c d Walters, John (May 24, 2022). "'Pickleball Is the Wild, Wild West': Inside the Fight Over the Fastest-Growing Sport in America". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  32. ^ Daughton, Will. "United Pickleball Association unveiled as holding company for newly merged PPA, MLP". Pickleball.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  33. ^ Mogan, Luke Carberry (June 5, 2022). "Pickleball fever rises in America: 'Everybody we know now plays'". yahoo!finance. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  34. ^ "APP Enters New Era, Rebranding as Association of Pickleball Players". APP. Association of Pickleball Players. May 24, 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  35. ^ "The Fort Established as Official Headquarters, Training Facility". theapp.global. Association of Pickleball Players. January 18, 2024. Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  36. ^ Galarza, Monica (January 7, 2024). "World's first pickleball stadium to open in Fort Lauderdale in 2024". nbcmiami.com. NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  37. ^ Nathan, Giri (January 21, 2022). "Is the Next Great Pastime … Pickleball?". New York Magazine. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  38. ^ McDermott, Grace (May 31, 2022). "Get ready for hot pickleball action!". Deadspin. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  39. ^ Knight, Brett (December 14, 2022). "Naomi Osaka And Patrick Mahomes Join Wave Of Celebrities Investing In Pickleball". Forbes. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  40. ^ Greenberg, Doug (October 12, 2022). "Tom Brady, Kim Clijsters Buy Major League Pickleball Team". Front Office Sports. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  41. ^ Poindexter, Owen (September 28, 2022). "LeBron James, NBA Stars Buying Major League Pickleball Team". Front Office Sports. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  42. ^ Golden, Jessica. "Kevin Durant is the latest athlete to buy a Major League Pickleball team". Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  43. ^ "This is NPL". National Pickleball League. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
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