UToledo Pickleball Courts Now Open

UToledo Pickleball Courts Now Open

Faculty, staff and students can now enjoy a game of the country's fastest growing sport on The University of Toledo's campus.

Last fall, UToledo opened a complex of seven new pickleball courts near the Varsity T pavilion on Main Campus. After being shut down for the winter, the courts have reopened for spring.

The pickleball courts can be accessed by faculty, staff and students using their swipe card or mobile credentials. Members of the UToledo community also can reserve a court by completing the Facility Space Request Form, which is available on the Office of Recreational Services website.

The new pickleball courts take the place of a pair of tennis courts and a basketball court, all of which would have needed significant updates, said Mike Dennis, senior associate vice president for finance, auxiliaries and treasurer.

"Those courts weren't getting a whole lot of use and needed to be renovated," Dennis said. "We sought student feedback and pickleball seemed to be the clear choice for the future of that location. It was a nice opportunity for us to bring to campus a sport that has seen its popularity grow wildly in recent years."

Pickleball is played on a court about a quarter the size of a standard tennis court and is often described as a mashup of tennis, ping-pong and badminton. The sport is decades old but has seen tremendous growth over the last few years. A November 2024 report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association found pickleball had been the fastest-growing sport in each of the prior three years, with a 223% growth over that time.

For now, UToledo's courts are open only to faculty, staff and students. However, there are plans to make them available for rent by the broader Toledo community by summer, and the Office of Recreational Services is exploring the possibility of setting up summer leagues that would be open to the community.

UToledo's courts are lighted for early morning or evening play, and a small set of bleachers is expected to be installed within the coming weeks.