Students Lead the Charge as Collegiate Padel Takes Root Across U.S. Campuses

In this Primetime Padel Exclusive, you’re going to get a glimpse into the future: The US Collegiate Padel scene. The American collegiate sports landscape has always been shaped by student initiative, school pride, and grassroots energy. As padel continues its rapid growth in the United States, that same spirit is now emerging on college campuses—where students are forming padel clubs, organizing play, and building communities around the sport.

With the launch of USPA Collegiate Padel, the announcement that the United States will send a team to the 2026 FISU World University Championships in Málaga, Spain, and the 2026 USA Collegiate National Championships set to be announced, the next phase of American padel is taking shape—one led by students and supported by the broader padel ecosystem.

In this Primetime Padel Q&A, USPA Executive Director Scott Colebourne shares how student-led clubs, working in collaboration with USPA Member Clubs, are driving collegiate padel forward—and how the USPA is helping provide structure, opportunity, and connection.

Primetime Padel: Scott, padel is growing quickly across the U.S., but why is the collegiate space so important to the sport’s long-term future?

Scott Colebourne: What’s happening on campuses right now is really organic. Students are discovering padel, organizing themselves, and building clubs because they genuinely love the sport. That’s powerful. Universities have always been places where sports, culture, and community intersect, and padel fits naturally into that environment. We’re already hearing weekly from students—both in the U.S. and internationally—who want to know how they can play padel while in college. Collegiate Padel is about giving those students a framework and a network so their efforts can grow.

Primetime Padel: Many universities don’t yet have padel courts on campus. How are student clubs making it work?

Scott Colebourne: That’s where collaboration comes in. Most collegiate padel clubs today are student-led and partner with nearby USPA Member Clubs for court access. It’s a shared relationship. The students get a place to play and grow their club, and the padel clubs get exposure to young players who often become long-term members. In many cases, these students are bringing new energy into clubs during off-peak hours, hosting events, and even running collegiate tournaments. It’s not just about facilities—it’s about community building.

Primetime Padel: The announcement of a U.S. team for the 2026 FISU World University Championships caught a lot of attention. How can students get involved?

Scott Colebourne: The key thing to know is that students don’t need to attend a university with an established padel club to be eligible. The selection process is open. FISU requires athletes to be U.S. citizens who are current students or recent graduates, but beyond that, we want to cast a wide net. This is about opportunity—giving motivated student-athletes a pathway to represent the USA, whether they’re part of a collegiate club already or just discovering padel.

Primetime Padel: We’ve seen sports like pickleball grow quickly on campuses. What lessons are being applied to collegiate padel?

Scott Colebourne: One big lesson is that structure matters. We’re looking at models like collegiate squash, where the national federation supports competition, championships, and development across all levels. Collegiate Padel isn’t only about elite performance—it’s about inclusion, social play, leadership, and competition all existing together. If we get that balance right, the competitive side will naturally follow.

Primetime Padel: How does technology play into growing collegiate padel?

Scott Colebourne: Visibility is huge. With our partnership with Pendular, we’ll be able to stream matches and share highlights from collegiate events, including the 2026 Collegiate National Championships. That gives student-athletes exposure, helps clubs promote themselves on campus, and makes padel more visible to people who may never have seen it before. It’s another way we support what students are already building.

Primetime Padel: Is the long-term goal NCAA recognition?

Scott Colebourne: Right now, the focus is grassroots growth. Collegiate Padel is about participation first—bringing more students into the sport, creating communities, and letting leadership develop organically. If padel thrives at the club level, opportunities will follow. The students forming clubs today are laying the foundation for whatever comes next.

Primetime Padel: For students or universities interested in starting a padel club, what’s the first step?

Scott Colebourne: Start by joining USPA Collegiate Padel—it’s free. From there, we help connect students with other collegiate clubs, nearby USPA Member Clubs, and the resources they need to get organized. The students are doing the hard work already. Our role is to support them, share best practices, and help remove barriers along the way.

As collegiate padel continues to grow, the story is becoming clear: students are leading the movement, clubs are collaborating, and the USPA is working behind the scenes to provide structure and opportunity. Together, they’re building a collegiate padel landscape that reflects the energy, creativity, and ambition of the next generation of American padel players.

Join the Movement: padelusa.org/collegiate-padel