For four years in a row, 2021 through 2024, the sport was named the fastest-growing sport in the United States by the Sports andFitness Industry Association.[3] The 2024 report found that there were 19.8 million participants that year, a 311% growth since 2021.[4]
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 formPickle Ball, Inc., a company that promoted the sport and sold the necessary equipment.[8] Interest in the game continued spreading throughout thePacific Northwest.Snowbirds in the region brought the game south toCalifornia,Arizona,Florida, andHawaii. By 1990 the sport was being played in all 50 states.[7]
Pickleball has not been sanctioned by the USNational 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[update] USA Pickleball listed 166 colleges and universities with active pickleball clubs.[10]
DUPR, known for its pickleball player rating software, held the first college national championship, theDUPR 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 heldCollegiate Individual National Championships that permitted college players to compete outside of the team format.[13]
In January 2025 DUPR announced a partnership with theUnited Pickleball Association to form theCollegiate Pickleball Tour (CPT) which will culminate in aCollegiate National Championship (CNC). The renamed CPT CNC will be held in the spring to better coincide with the school year, with the 2025 CNC held at Life Time Peachtree Corners inAtlanta, Georgia. ACollegiate World Championship (CWC) will be held in the fall, where collegiate players form around the world will be invited to participate.[14] The total prize purse for the tour is expected exceed over $100,000 in scholarship funds.[15]
The NCPA Collegiate Tour includes several Regional Championship events, culminating with aNational 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.[25]
NCPA National Collegiate Pickleball Championship results
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.[32] In March 2017 the PPF organization merged with the USAPA, now the USAP.[33]
The popularity of pickleball spurred the growth of investors and sponsors. As a result, two pro pickleball tours were independently formed in theUnited States in 2019, the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP, now the Association of Pickleball Players), and the Pickleball Professionals Association (PPA). A professional pickleballleague, Major League Pickleball (MLP), was formed in 2021,[34] 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).[35]
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.[34]
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.[36] 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.[37] In January 2024 the APP announced that it had reached an agreement to makeThe Fort, inFort Lauderdale, Florida, its new permanent home and training center.[38] Founded by Brad Tuckman and Rich Campillo, and scheduled to open in December 2024, the new facility will include 43pickleball courts, including the world's first dedicated pickleball stadium.[39][40]
Professional Pickleball Association: The PPA was formed by Connor Pardoe and based inDraper, 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.[34] The 2022 PPA Tour is expected to include 20 tournaments with total prize money of $2.5 million.[41]
Major League Pickleball: MLP was formed in 2021 by Steve Kuhn inDripping Springs, Texas.[34] 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 snakedraft designed to make teams as competitive as possible.[42] 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 thePritchard Cup. The league will expand to 16 teams in 2023, with NFL quarterbacksTom Brady andPatrick Mahomes, tennis playerNaomi Osaka,[43] and NBA playersLeBron James,Kevin Durant,Draymond Green, andKevin Love buying expansion teams.[44][45][46]
The NPL is a professional pickleball league established in theUnited States whose members are over the age of 50. The league was established in 2022. As of 2024[update] the league had twelve teams with eight men and eight women on each team.[47]
TheU.S. Open Pickleball Championships is an annualpickleball tournament that has been held since 2016 at the East Naples Community Park inNaples, Florida.[48] The tournament isopen to amateur, professional and international players. The 2024 event, which ran from April 13th to the 20th, had over 3,250 competitors, and over 50,000 spectators. To date, this was the largest pickleball event in the world.[49]
