Major League Pickleball (MLP by Margaritaville) today announced the 2024 year-long breakdown by level for its 24 franchises, who will be evenly split between the Premier and Challenger Levels.
In a unique framework, MLP used a Dutch Auction process, with the teams placing the 12 highest bids joining Premier Level for 2024. The remaining 12 teams will participate in the Challenger Level in 2024.
“Through this process, we are seeing the unwavering commitment and investment of MLP’s owners – some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and business leaders – as sponsorship revenue, audience viewership, and franchise values all continue to grow,” said Bruce Popko, MLP Chief Operating Officer. “This financial commitment from team owners is another vital step in the continued collaboration with our key stakeholders, MLP’s owners and players, to construct a thriving professional pickleball business for years to come.”
Major League Pickleball teams are now trading at eight-figure valuations. To ensure this trend continues as nationwide participation and interest in the sport continue to increase rapidly, team owners are investing far more into their teams and the financing of the league. This includes subsidizing player salaries of their coed teams, with equal pay and playing time for female and male athletes.
2024 MLP Premier Teams
Arizona (AZ) Drive
Columbus Sliders
Dallas Pickleball Club
D.C. Pickleball Team
Los Angeles (LA) Mad Drops
New Jersey (NJ) 5s
New York (NY) Hustlers
Orlando Squeeze
Seattle Pioneers
St. Louis Shock
Texas Ranchers
Utah Black Diamonds
2024 MLP Challenger Teams
Atlanta Bouncers
Austin Pickleballers
Bay Area Breakers
Brooklyn Aces
California BLQK Bears
Chicago Slice
Florida Smash
Frisco Pandas
Las Vegas Night Owls
Miami Pickleball Club
Milwaukee Mashers
SoCal Hard Eights
All teams will play up to 40 regular season matches across their eight scheduled regular season events (individual team schedules will vary across MLP’s 15 regular season events) and participate in the Mid-Season Championship (July 11-14 in Grand Rapids, Michigan) during the 2024 MLP schedule.
In both Premier and Challenger, the top six teams will qualify for the season-ending MLP Playoffs.
The top four Challenger teams in 2024 – determined by season-long results – will be promoted to Premier for 2025.
Additional information about the 2024 MLP season, including individual team schedules and the player acquisition process, will be shared shortly.
About MLP by Margaritaville
MLP by Margaritaville (Major League Pickleball) is the preeminent team-based professional pickleball league, featuring nearly 100 of the best athletes spread across 24 teams, a unique coed format, easy to understand scoring, iconic team owners, and the most electric live events and fan experience in the sport. Founded in 2021, MLP named its first-ever title sponsor, Margaritaville, branding the league MLP by Margaritaville in December 2022. For more information on Major League Pickleball, visit the official website and follow MLP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
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