2025 Major League Pickleball Season: Why High-Stakes Spending May Not Buy Wins
Major League Pickleball’s 2025 expansion to 22 teams reveals a harsh truth: money can’t buy championships. Just ask the New York Hustlers, who dumped $300,000 into trades only to face glaring roster holes in women’s doubles. While NBA stars and deep pockets flood the league with cash, success hinges on smart team building, not spending sprees. The expanded schedule across five events will expose which teams actually did their homework. There’s more to this story than dollar signs.
Major League Pickleball is gearing up for its most ambitious season yet in 2025, with a supersized Premier Level expansion to 16 teams. The league’s growth spurt includes a robust Challenger Level featuring six teams, creating a dynamic 22-team ecosystem that’ll battle it out across five regular-season events.
That’s 25 matches per team, for those keeping score at home.
Each team faces a marathon of 25 matches throughout the season – better pack those paddles and plenty of pickle juice.
But here’s the kicker – throwing money around like confetti doesn’t guarantee success in this league. Just ask the New York Hustlers, who splashed over $300,000 in trades during the offseason but came up empty in the draft. Now they’re facing some serious holes in their roster, especially in women’s doubles. Oops.
The 2025 season kicks off with MLP Orlando (April 24-27), followed by a quick hop to Columbus (May 1-4). The Thursday to Sunday format ensures consistent scheduling throughout the season.
For the initial time ever, regular season events will be hosted in MLP team cities, adding some hometown flavor to the mix. Amateur players can join the action through registered amateur play opportunities at various events. Fans can snag tickets on TIXR.com, except for St. Louis events – they’re keeping it exclusive on Ticketmaster.
The schedule’s got more twists and turns than a soap opera, with teams playing musical chairs across different events. The involvement of NBA superstars as team owners has dramatically elevated the sport’s credibility and appeal.
July brings the Mid-Season Tournament, where all 22 teams get to duke it out in what promises to be a reality check for the big spenders.
And just when you think it’s over, there’s the MLP Cup lurking in November like a final boss battle.
Team rankings will depend on wins, losses, and point differential percentage – because sometimes just winning isn’t enough, you’ve got to win big.
The Dreambreaker matches often become the make-or-break moments, separating the contenders from the pretenders.
It’s a long road from April to November, and all that preseason spending might look pretty silly by the time the dust settles.
