Key Takeaways
- The Pro Padel League and 5 club operators have introduced the College Padel League in the United States, covering 10 cities and offering university teams free court time, coaching and travel.
- SFIA figures show that participation rose 14.5% in the year through June 2026, making padel the fastest-growing tracked sport in the country and moving it ahead of pickleball.
- Up to 20 teams will contest a $20,000 prize pool at the Season 1 national championship in Miami from 3 to 5 December 2026, held alongside the PPL Finals.
College Padel League creates national response to court-access challenges
The official launch of the College Padel League introduces a new national structure to American collegiate sport. Created by the Pro Padel League with 5 leading U.S. facility operators, the competition is designed to give university students across the country a direct route into padel.
Padel’s collegiate arrival comes as participation accelerates nationwide. The Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s mid-year 2026 report recorded a 14.5% increase during the 12 months ending in June 2026, placing padel first among the activities tracked by the SFIA and ending pickleball’s 5-year spell as the leader.
“The arrival of the CPL is a milestone for collegiate sport in the United States, and for student padel globally. We didn’t set out to build a league — we set out to solve a problem,” said Ryan Durishin, chief executive officer of the College Padel League.
“By bringing together five heavyweight operators across 10 cities, we tackled the biggest issue facing the sport in America: readily accessible courts,” Durishin said.
“With no courts on campus, rather than waiting on the sidelines, we took the bold step of bringing together top operators committed to giving students access to world-class infrastructure, while also enabling training and tournament preparation year-round.”
Club network addresses the lack of campus facilities
Dedicated padel courts remain uncommon at U.S. universities, so the league is using 5 founding operator partners, which also hold equity stakes, to solve the access problem. Their clubs cover 10 metropolitan areas and will supply partnered university teams with court availability and coaching.
| Founding Operator Partner | Locations | Role / Details |
|---|---|---|
| Ultra Padel | Miami | Host venue for the CPL Playoffs Phase 1 |
| Padel 39 | Austin, Dallas | Founding operator partner |
| Epic Padel | Charlotte, Milwaukee, Richmond | Founding operator partner |
| Padel N9ne | San Diego | Founding operator partner |
| Bay Padel | San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles | Founding operator partner |
The launch connects more than 20 institutions across the Atlantic, Continental, Southeastern, Southwestern, Western, Upper Midwest, Rocky Mountain and Pacific Northwest regions. Before Season 1 ends, the organization aims to serve more than 40 universities.
Students lead every participating club and oversee its everyday team activity. The league’s central organization pays the core expenses, covering facilities, coaching, team travel and hotel stays.
First playoffs set out collegiate competition route
Ultra Padel in Miami will host the opening season’s finale from 3 to 5 December 2026. The CPL Playoffs will run alongside the Pro Padel League Finals, bringing together as many as 20 men’s and women’s teams for a $20,000 prize fund within an overall package valued at approximately $185,000.
“The college game has never been an afterthought in American sport — it’s where a sport builds cultural relevance. Basketball, football, wrestling, even soccer all built their US fanbases on campuses before they built them anywhere else,” Durishin said while referring to the collegiate precedent.
“For decades, international students have used tennis and golf scholarships as a pathway into American universities — we believe the CPL opens that same route for padel players worldwide. Every generation of American college athletes has had a sport to call their own, and we’re giving that to padel players right now, at the moment this sport is taking off.”
Players will collect official World Padel Rating points during the season and can pursue name, image and likeness opportunities through the league’s commercial channels.
“Students across America have a real structure for padel — not just a casual hit with friends, but a competitive pathway that begins on day one of university and builds through a full national season,” said Nico Agritelley, a United States national team player and CPL board member.
“Students who discover padel in college now have somewhere to take it — organised club play, regional competition, and a national championship on a professional stage. That’s a big deal for the sport, and I’m proud to be part of building it from the ground up.”
Jordi Lujan, another board member, highlighted what the initiative means for students moving into university competition.
“I played college tennis, so I know what being part of a university team gives you: the friendships, the discipline, the pride of wearing your school’s colours. Padel players have never had that structure until now. This is the moment college padel truly arrives in the United States, and the CPL gives this generation the college sports experience I had, in a sport they can play for the rest of their lives,” Lujan said.
Universities can now register through the league website. Partner venues will stage regional mini-tournaments, with those events determining the qualifiers for the December championship in Miami.
