America's college padel era arrives: top operators partner with the Pro Padel League to form the College Padel League

Yale and other top universities join forces to enter Season One, with the inaugural CPL Playoffs in Miami, December 3 to 5, 2026

America's college padel era has arrived. Five of the country's leading padel club operators have partnered with the Pro Padel League (PPL) to launch the College Padel League (CPL), the first national collegiate padel competition in the United States.

Yale is among the universities joining forces at launch, with more than 20 institutions signed up across the country. Season One ends with the inaugural CPL Playoffs in Miami from December 3 to 5, 2026, where up to 20 college teams will compete for a $20,000 prize pool.

The timing is hard to ignore. The Sports & Fitness Industry Association's mid-year 2026 report found padel participation grew 14.5% in the 12 months to June 2026. That is the fastest growth of any activity SFIA tracks, and it ends pickleball's five-year run at the top.

No campus courts? No problem

The biggest thing holding college padel back has been simple: almost no US campuses have courts, and building them isn't realistic on a college budget or timeline. The CPL gets around that by working with the clubs that already have them.

The league was founded by the Pro Padel League (PPL) and five of America's leading club operators, who have come in as equity partners:

• Ultra Padel (Miami), host venue for the CPL Playoffs
• Padel 39 (Austin, Dallas)
• Epic Padel (Charlotte, Milwaukee, Richmond)
• Padel N9ne (San Diego)
• Bay Padel (San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles)

Each university pairs with its nearest operator for court time and coaching. More than 20 institutions are covered at launch, with a target of 40-plus by the end of Season One.

Cost isn't a barrier either. Participation is covered in full at launch, including courts, coaching, and travel and accommodation for competing teams. Every registered player also earns official World Padel Rating (WPR) points and is eligible for NIL opportunities through the CPL's sponsor and content network.

"We didn't set out to build a league, we set out to solve a problem," said Ryan Durishin, CEO of the College Padel League. "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."

The clubs themselves are student-led. Players found and run them, and the CPL provides the structure and support.

Why tennis players should pay attention

If you play tennis, padel will feel familiar fast. It's a doubles game played on an enclosed court a little smaller than a tennis court, with walls in play and an underhand serve. Plenty of the players now leading the US game came through tennis first.

One of them is Jordi Lujan, a US National Team player and CPL board member who played college tennis himself.

"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 colors," he said. "Padel players have never had that structure until now. The CPL gives this generation the college sports experience I had, in a sport they can play for the rest of their lives."

The CPL also sees a bigger opportunity. For decades, international students have used tennis and golf scholarships as a route into American universities. Durishin believes the CPL can open the same pathway for padel players around the world.

Fellow board member Nico Agritelley, also a US National Team player, put it simply: students who discover padel in college "now have somewhere to take it."

A national championship in Miami

The CPL Playoffs run December 3 to 5 at Ultra Padel in Miami, alongside the Pro Padel League Finals. The PPL will host the CPL's championship match, so the best college teams will play their final on a professional stage.

Up to 20 teams will compete in men's and women's categories. The $20,000 prize pool sits within a total player package worth around $185,000, covering flights, hotels, subsidies and prize money.

For Florida, that puts the state at the centre of college padel from day one. Ultra Padel gives Florida students and universities a ready-made home base, and the championship weekend brings the whole league to Miami.

How to get involved

University registration is open now. Schools pair with their nearest CPL operator partner, register teams through the CPL website, and qualify for Miami through local operator mini-tournaments.

Students, coaches, college athletics staff and club operators can find out more at collegepadelleague.com.