PHOENIX — Major League Pickleball just announced the new ownership groups for the league's newest respective teams.
The Arizona club will be called the AZ Drive and is divided into 10 owners.
A handful of those owners include Larry Fitzgerald, Devin Booker, and Dierks Bentley, among seven others.
Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. It’s only right that we give this game a home in Arizona at the highest level. #AZDRIVE
— Larry Fitzgerald (@LarryFitzgerald) December 20, 2022
Launching in 2023…stay tuned for more. Let’s Go!!! @MajorLeaguePB https://t.co/WOqNzBOZDU
It's no longer a secret, pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports, not just in America, but the world.
Because of the growing interest and value of the game, it has attracted many dynamic leaders across business, sports, and entertainment to get involved.
MLP now consists of 24 teams from varying states. Other names that have gotten involved in ownership are Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka, Nick Kyrgios, Jeremy Lin, Justin Verlander, Kate Upton, Heidi Klum, Eva Longoria, David Dobrik, Kevin Durant, Rich Paul, Dirk Nowitzki, and Mark Cuban.
In 2023, the 12 new teams, including the AZ Drive, will compete in the Challenger Level in the first half of the year and switch to the Premier Level in the second half - the previously-announced group of 12 teams will start in the Premier Level and switch to the Challenger Level on the same timeline.
All 24 teams start on equal footing in 2023 and will be fighting for pole position for the 2024 season, which will bring a promotion and relegation system to major U.S. sports for the first time.
“The diversity in the backgrounds and expertise of our fantastic new owners is an incredible asset as we aggressively expand Major League Pickleball to reach more fans than ever,” said MLP by Margaritaville Interim CEO Brian Levine. “We always say pickleball brings people together, and this roster of leaders from across a wide variety of industries is a strong testament to that philosophy.”
The first tournament of the 2023 season will be at Legacy Sports USA in Mesa, AZ from January 26-29.
