STOCKTON, Calif. – The University of the Pacific in California is building what is being claimed as the first pickleball facility on a college campus in the United States.
As reported by The Lodi News-Sentinel, the school is teaming with San Deigo-based Taktika Padel to build a 12-court complex for the fast-growing sport just north of the campus’ Eve Zimmerman Tennis Center.
According to the article, the venue will include eight pickleball courts, four padel courts, and lights and video cameras for livestreaming.
University president Christopher Callahan says the complex will fill a “great need” for pickleball courts in the area and introduce people to the game of padel.
While pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the United States, padel is still relatively unknown as there are only 200 courts in the country. The article states it is popular in other areas of the world, notably being the second most-played sport in Spain behind soccer.
Padel is usually played in doubles on a court slightly smaller than a tennis court and contains some similarities to tennis and squash.
Taktika Padel is an operator of courts, which has plans to open hundreds of public facilities on the West Coast over the next two years. In the article, the company’s CEO, Ryan Redondo, says the partnership with the University of the Pacific will help introduce the games of padel and pickleball to college students. The company will operate the complex, which is expected to open this fall.
