National Pickleball League announces senior pro tour expansion, new amateur tournament series for 2026

The Kitchen Team

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Sep 18 2025

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The National Pickleball League — a senior pro league made up of 12 teams across the country — has announced it will expand by adding three new age-specific divisions, along with a new series of tournaments that will feature both professional and amateur players.

Along with the existing Champions Pro league for players over 50, the NPL will add separate divisions for:

- Players aged 40+

- Players aged 60+

- A development division for players aged 50+ who hope to be drafted and compete in NPL’s Champions Pro league.

Each team in the new divisions will have a regular season of events before competing for their respective league Championship.

The league will also launch a new tournament series for both professional and amateur players aged 40+ starting in early 2026. Specific dates and locations will be announced soon, but initial plans are for tournaments to be played in January, February, March and April to start with. Prize money will be awarded in all pro divisions.

“Our mission has always been to showcase the incredible talent, athleticism, and competitiveness of players over age 50, and we’ve seen nothing but this in our first three seasons of play,” said NPL CEO Rod Davis. “With this expansion, we’re creating more opportunities for athletes at every stage of their journey.”

The NPL is currently in the midst of its third season. It will have its regular-season finales this month with simultaneous events in Indianapolis and Atlantic City, New Jersey. The season will culminate next month with Championship Weekend in Seattle from Oct. 16-19. All 12 NPL teams will compete for a share of the $100,000 prize pool and the NPL Championship.

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