Last Updated on February 6, 2026 by Drew Pierce
It’s been a whirlwind week in the professional pickleball world, and if you blinked, you might have missed some major league restructuring announcements. Major League Pickleball just dropped a bombshell about their 2026 format, Brooklyn is launching what could be a game-changing youth initiative, and we’re less than two weeks away from the PPA Cape Coral Open. Let’s break it all down.
MLP’s Big Format Change: No More Challenger Level
Major League Pickleball announced this week that the Challenger Level is officially gone for 2026. Instead of the planned 18 Premier teams and 5 Challenger teams, we’re getting a single-tier league with 20 teams total—all competing on equal footing.
If you’re keeping track at home, that’s three fewer teams than originally planned. The Nashville Chefs and DC Pickleball Team are sitting out 2026 while finalizing sale agreements. The New York Hustlers have merged with the Brooklyn Pickleball Team. It’s musical chairs, but with multimillion-dollar franchises.
Here’s why this matters: eliminating the Challenger Level means every team has a legitimate shot at the playoffs. No more “minor league” designation. No more relegation anxiety. Just 20 teams, nine regular season events (May through August), and a three-week playoff structure culminating in Championship Weekend in New York City.
The new format also includes some interesting roster changes. Teams now get more flexibility—they must use all six rostered players during events, group play is returning, and the standings points system has been revamped. This addresses one of last year’s criticisms: teams sitting star players or gaming the system with strategic lineups.
From a competitive standpoint, this is smart. A single tier creates clearer narratives, eliminates confusion for casual fans, and ensures that every match matters. From a financial standpoint, it consolidates the league’s resources behind 20 viable franchises instead of spreading thin across 23.
My take? This is MLP maturing. The league is acknowledging that not every market can support a team right now, and that’s okay. Better to have 20 healthy franchises than 23 struggling ones.
Welcome to the League: Palm Beach Royals
Speaking of new franchises, MLP announced the Palm Beach Royals—the league’s first expansion team since 2024. Purchased at a “record-high valuation” by tech entrepreneurs Zach Hunter and Taylor Meyer of Hyperspace Ventures, the Royals are jumping straight into a competitive league with some interesting roster-building advantages.
Here’s where it gets complicated (you’ve been warned): Palm Beach can trade cash for up to two players—one man and one woman—with a $200,000 maximum per transaction. They can also claim up to two players who aren’t currently on MLP rosters but were eligible for the 2025 draft, keeping them for three seasons (2026-2028) at just a $10,000 keeper fee each.
That’s a pretty sweet deal for an expansion franchise. The league clearly wants them competitive from day one rather than suffering through a brutal inaugural season.
Hunter and Meyer bring tech backgrounds and former UNC tennis experience, which could be an interesting combination. Additional celebrity investors will be announced soon, because apparently no MLP team is complete without a few Hollywood names on the ownership roster.
The big question: can Palm Beach build a competitive roster before the February 15th trade deadline? They’re working with more flexibility than most teams, but they’re also starting from scratch. Keep an eye on which players they target—it’ll tell us a lot about their strategy and ambitions.
Brooklyn Brings Pickleball to NYC Public Schools
In what might be the most significant youth development news of the year, the Brooklyn Pickleball Team partnered with Conquer Kids (powered by JOOLA) to introduce pickleball to New York City’s entire public school system.
Read that again: over one million NYC public school students. The stated goal is putting a paddle in the hands of every one of them.
This isn’t a small pilot program. Conquer Kids already operates in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, serving students from second grade through high school with in-school instruction, after-school enrichment, and community programming. They’re expanding to Staten Island later this year.
“This is a first-of-its-kind partnership, and it’s exactly what the sport needs right now,” said Louis Long, Co-Founder of Conquer Kids. “Pickleball is growing at an incredible pace, but growth only matters if it’s accessible.”
He’s absolutely right. Youth development is how you build a sustainable sport. Tennis figured this out decades ago. Soccer has been doing it forever. Pickleball is finally catching up, and doing it at scale.
The Brooklyn Pickleball Team—backed by Eva Longoria, Justin Verlander, Kate Upton, Odell Beckham Jr., and others—is investing in the grassroots. This isn’t just good PR; it’s strategic. Get kids playing in elementary school, and by the time they’re teenagers, you’ve got a built-in fan base and player pipeline.
If this pilot succeeds, Conquer Kids will roll out to other U.S. cities. That’s when things get really interesting. Imagine Cleveland, Phoenix, Austin, and Miami all running similar programs. Within five years, you’d have tens of thousands of high school players who grew up with pickleball as a core sport.
Critics will say this is moving too fast, that we need to focus on infrastructure first. But infrastructure follows demand. You want more courts? Get more kids playing. Schools will build courts. Parks departments will build courts. Communities follow where the kids go.
PPA Cape Coral Coming Up Fast
While we’re talking league structure and youth development, let’s not forget there’s actual professional pickleball happening soon. The PPA Cape Coral Open kicks off February 9-15 at The Courts in Cape Coral, Florida.
This is a 1,000-point event, mid-tier in the PPA standings but still meaningful for rankings. After the frozen chaos of Lakeville, I’m guessing the pros are thrilled to be playing in Florida. Cape Coral in February? Highs in the mid-70s, sunshine, no risk of flu outbreaks caused by arctic temperatures.
Pro qualifying rounds start Monday, February 9th, with the main draw running through championship Saturday on the 15th. Amateurs can compete alongside the pros, which remains one of the coolest aspects of PPA events.
For anyone in Southwest Florida, this is worth attending. Watching professional pickleball live is completely different from streaming—you can actually hear the speed and power of the shots, see the court positioning in real time, and appreciate just how good these players are.
Looking Ahead: MLP Trade Deadline February 15th
Mark your calendars: February 15th is the MLP Trade Window #1 deadline. Teams need to finalize keeper decisions, execute any remaining trades, and set their rosters before the draft.
With 20 teams competing in a single tier, roster construction matters more than ever. There’s no “developing in Challenger” safety net. Every team is trying to make the playoffs. That means teams on the bubble might make aggressive moves, contenders might cash in future assets, and rebuilding franchises (looking at you, Palm Beach) will be scrambling to build competitive rosters from scratch.
The keeper rules are complex,some teams can keep all 2024 draftees, others can’t. Teams that ended 2025 with zero or one 2024 drafted player get special exemptions. It’s convoluted, but the short version is: expect some surprises when keeper announcements drop on February 16th.
Final Thoughts: Growing Pains and Smart Decisions
This week’s news reflects a sport in transition. MLP consolidating to 20 teams is a mature, strategic decision that prioritizes quality over quantity. The Brooklyn youth program is exactly the kind of long-term thinking that will sustain pickleball’s growth beyond the current boom cycle. And Cape Coral reminds us that amid all the business machinations, there’s still actual pickleball being played at the highest level.
The next two weeks are going to be wild. Trade deadline drama, PPA tournament action, and probably a few more surprises we haven’t seen coming. Stay tuned.