Pickleball in the United States
, a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, 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.
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. The 2024 report found that there were 19.8 million participants that year, a 311% growth since 2021.
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. 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.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. 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.
College level pickleball
Pickleball has not been sanctioned by the US National Collegiate Athletic Association. USA Pickleball and other organizations are pursuing the possibility of NCAA recognition. Meanwhile, numerous college campuses have independently formed pickleball clubs. USA Pickleball listed 166 colleges and universities with active pickleball clubs.Collegiate Pickleball Tour
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. 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.In January 2025 DUPR announced a partnership with the United Pickleball Association to form the Collegiate Pickleball Tour which will culminate in a Collegiate National Championship. 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 in Atlanta, Georgia. A Collegiate World Championship will be held in the fall, where collegiate players form around the world will be invited to participate. The total prize purse for the tour is expected exceed over $100,000 in scholarship funds.
| 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 | |
| 2023 | Nov 17-19 | 36 | Peachtree Corners, GA | $32,000 | University of Virginia | University of North Carolina | |
| 2024 | Nov 1-3 | 64 | Dallas, TX | $32,000 | Utah Tech University | University of Virginia | |
| 2025 | Apr 11-13 | 64 | Peachtree Corners, GA | $32,000 | University of Texas at Austin | Texas Christian University |
National Collegiate Pickleball Association
In January 2023 Noah Suemnick, a graduate of Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California, formed the National Collegiate Pickleball Association. 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.The NCPA Collegiate Tour includes several Regional Championship events, culminating with a National Collegiate Pickleball Championship. 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.
| Year | Date | Schools | Location | Prize Pool | 1st place | 2nd place | Ref |
| 2024 | Mar 15-17 | 38 | San Diego, CA | $30,000 | |||
| 2025 | Feb 14-16 | 64 | Las Vegas, NV | $30,000 | Utah Valley University | Utah Tech University |
APP U.S. Collegiate Championships
In September 2023 the Association of Pickleball Players 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.| 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 | |
| 2025 | Mar 28-30 | 32 | Cape Coral, FL | $50,000 | University of Florida | University of Texas at Austin |
Professional pickleball tours and leagues
The first professional pickleball tour, the Professional Pickleball Federation, 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. In March 2017 the PPF organization merged with the USAPA, now the USAP.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, and the Pickleball Professionals Association. A professional pickleball league, Major League Pickleball, was formed in 2021, and a senior professional league, the National Pickleball League of Champions Pros, was formed in 2022. In 2023 the PPA and MLP merged under one umbrella organization, the United Pickleball Association.
Association of Pickleball Players
The APP and APP Tour were formed by Ken Herrmann. Herrmann aligned his tour with USA Pickleball, the original governing body of pickleball in the United States. All games are sanctioned by USAP and must abide by USAP rules.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. 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. 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. 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.