Major League Pickleball (MLP by Margaritaville) and the foremost pickleball rating provider, Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR), have officially set a collegiate and junior verticals program in motion.
More Pickleball Opportunities
This initiative will allow college and youth pickleball programs to partner with prominent organizations, as DUPR and MLP launch a formal structure enabling more opportunities for younger athletes to get into and play pickleball.
MLP and DUPR will use their respective rules, regulations, and player ratings knowledge to connect the collegiate and junior games with the professional one.
National Collegiate Championships
Last month, they held the inaugural National Championship for Collegiate Club Pickleball in Fort Worth, TX. Over 20 schools participated in this tournament which features men’s and women’s singles and mixed doubles formats, with $22,000 worth of Scholarship money on offer.
The tournament featured 16 co-ed teams and used the same unique team format used in MLP.
Their next tournament, the DUPR Collegiate National Championship, will be at Peachtree Corners, GA, from November 17-19. A fantastic scholarship prize of $31,000 will be presented to the winners. It will feature the following six-pool format: Each pool will feature six colleges with the same DUPR, with two colleges progressing from each section to the single-elimination playoffs.
Major League Pickleball and DUPR Founder Steve Kuhn says, “Part of our long-term strategic view has been to integrate junior and college pickleball into our existing ratings and competition structure. We are excited to announce our commitment to these two new verticals, our first step towards connecting the entire pickleball pathway under one organization.”
Click here to learn how to get a DUPR Pickleball Rating.
Exciting news from @MajorLeaguePB & @DUPRpb – today we announced the official launch of Collegiate and Junior pickleball verticals to create a unified pathway in the sport!
— DUPR (@DUPRpb) May 3, 2023
Read more: https://t.co/iDyA8qMl9q pic.twitter.com/7XuO3SF8hK
DUPR
DUPR is the premier pickleball rating and event management organization and the official rating provider for MLP and PPA. For more information, visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
MLP by Margaritaville
MLP is the flagship team-based professional pickleball league. Kuhn founded MLP in 2021 and has guided its growth from 8 to 24 teams.
It features a one-of-a-kind co-ed format with promotion and relegation, advanced drafting format, simple-to-follow scoring, high-definition broadcasting feeds, and the best prize money payouts in pro pickleball.
Margaritaville was announced in December as its title sponsor, leading the branding to become “MLP by Margaritaville”. American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffet inspired the hospitality company in 1985, and it has grown into a hotel, restaurant, casino, and retail-store chain.
Visit margaritaville.com for more details.
You can also visit Major League Pickleball’s official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Please read another of our great articles on collegiate pickleball here.
