The Blueprint of Pro Pickleball: Why I’m Heading to MLP Columbus
- Craig Johnson
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
I’m loving my current journey as I dive deeper into the growth of pickleball across North America. Whether I'm navigating complex new sales channels on the retail distribution side or embedding myself directly into pro event operations, one thing is always clear no matter the sport: you cannot help support future growth if you are not near the action (or in this case, the courts!).
The 2026 Major League Pickleball (MLP) season is officially underway. Following a kickoff weekend in Dallas, the fan and athlete excitement is on full display. The new storylines — from roster changes to team trades — have awesome buzz to start the season, all transitioning from the recent PPA Finals held just a couple of weeks ago.
With that, I’m loading up my vehicle and hitting the road from the GTA down to Columbus, Ohio for the 2nd stop of this new season — MLP Columbus begins on Thursday! I'm pumped to embed myself again with another pro stop assisting event ops and ticketing, plus connecting again with other great volunteers.
For me, getting hands-on with live event execution is the ultimate R&D. There is no better way to understand how to package and sell ticketing experiences or maximize corporate sponsorship ROI back home north of the border than by watching how fans interact with the game and its stars in real time.
Two Properties, Two Blueprints
Over the next week, I'll be sure to share some behind-the-scenes insights contrasting the operational models of the PPA Tour and MLP. Both properties sit under the United Pickleball Association (UPA) umbrella, but their competitive and commercial blueprints are entirely different:
The PPA Tour: Think of the traditional tennis model. Individual or fixed-partner play where athletes grind for personal ranking points and titles.
Major League Pickleball (MLP): The hyper-dynamic team model. A co-ed franchise format featuring high-stakes player drafts, innovative rally scoring, and intense bench energy.
Understanding the operational, fan-engagement, and broadcast differences between these two formats is the key to unlocking new business opportunities or new corporate sponsorship potential north of the border.
MLP Columbus promises to be a masterclass in fan engagement. I'm especially looking forward to watching the defending champions on-site—a squad that features hometown adidas Pro, CJ Klinger!
More live insights to come as the action unfolds later this week in Ohio. 🚗🎾
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