by Joe James

What’s the Story?

In parallel with pickleball’s rapid growth professionally and recreationally, the sport is now playing a pivotal role in students’ college decisions.

College students have caught the pickleball bug as over 127 colleges now boast organised pickleball clubs or competitive programs as the sport begins to shift from a casual pastime into an integral part of campus life.

As reported in the Miami Herald, Brian Kanzer, who founded the University of Miami’s pickleball, said: “People are choosing their colleges depending on what schools have the best pickleball programmes.”

The UM club has more than 700 pickleball enthusiasts in its group chat as there are plans to build four pickleball-only courts on campus, while students utilise the six shared tennis courts.

The sport’s accessibility, ease of learning and social nature are attracting a younger demographic, transforming its image and paving the way for college integration.

At the end of 2024, the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) published data on the collective salary of female players for both the PPA and Major League Pickleball (MLP), which showed that the 60 women under contract averaged $260k, more than the WBNA or NWSL’s average salaries.

Despite such hunger for the game on college campuses and lucrative contracts exceeding those in women’s national soccer and basketball, it is not yet an official NCAA sport.

The Recap

Pickleball, America’s fastest-growing sport for the last four years, was invented in 1965, boasting growth 223.5% in participation and college choices are factoring the sport into account.

Student-led pickleball clubs are popping up across campuses all over the U.S., like the Florida International University (FIU), which has a club with over 400 students and plans to have its own on-campus pickleball courts.

The University of Miami (UM) has over 700 pickleball enthusiasts in its group chat as the university is set to build four pickleball-only courts on campus. In its first year, the UM club won the university’s ‘Best Social Media Marketing’ award, beating out 300 other clubs.

The University of North Carolina (UNC) recently won the first Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR) Super Regional of 2025, as part of the newly established United Pickleball Association (UPA) & DUPR Collegiate Pickleball Tour.

Culminating in Dallas, the tour features 30 Campus Regionals, eight super regionals, two major championships (National and World), 200 collegiate teams with over 4,000 athletes competing for a prize pool exceeding $100,000.

The National Champions and Runners-Up have the opportunity to play against top professionals at the Major League Pickleball Mid-Season Tournament in the Challenger Level bracket.

However, challenges remain before pickleball can achieve official NCAA recognition.

These challenges include competing for resources with established sports, a lack of a central governing body, and inconsistent rules across tournaments.

To gain NCCA recognition, pickleball must meet specific criteria, including a minimum number of schools participating, a formal governing structure and a standardised competition format.

The use of DUPR, as well as ESPNU’S broadcasting of the championships, is helping to highlight the sport’s exposure and appeal, with this visibility crucial for attracting enough awareness and support to secure pickleball’s future in collegiate athletics.

The PKLBull Verdict

While pickleball is still in its early stages as a college sport, its impact on student decision-making is clear to see.

The universities who have recognised the popularity, and the students who have been crucial to the startup of clubs stand to benefit.

Students will be part of an ever-expanding community, and the universities will receive increased student engagement and potential recruitment advantages.

For those passionate about the sport, the presence of a strong pickleball programme is becoming an important consideration when selecting a college, and the universities who are proactive enough to engage with this will offer an additional selling point to future generations in their educational journey.

Pickleball's journey from just a recreational activity to a potential NCAA sport is gaining momentum.

The increasing popularity among college students, the formation of clubs, and the construction of dedicated courts demonstrate its growing appeal.

While there will be challenges ahead in achieving NCCA recognition, the work with the DUPR and US Collegiate Pickleball Association, combined with the enthusiasm of students, suggests a promising future for pickleball in college sports.