The fourth annual Collegiate National Championship brought the heat to Life Time Peachtree Corners in Atlanta, GA. With over 600 players from 64 schools, it was the largest collegiate pickleball event in history! A $40,000+ prize purse was on the line, and teams showed up ready to battle it out.
The Finals: Texas Showdown
The Championship match featured two Texas titans: Texas Christian University (TCU) with a team DUPR of 20.805 and The University of Texas at Austin (UT) with a team DUPR 20.902.
The final went down like this:
UT took the crown, led by Natalie Liu, Eli Trumeter, Zoeya Kahn, and Jack Munro. This marks their first team tournament victory in program history!
Despite having pro player, Jack Munro on the roster for the 2023 Texas Super Regional, they had never clinched a Super Regional title. At the 2023 Nationals, UT went 1-4 in group play without Jack. Even with him back in the lineup, they fell to Utah Tech in the Round of 16 at the 2024 Nationals. The Universtiy of Texas at Austin and Utah Tech have now faced off in the playoff bracket at back-to-back Nationals—each time, the winner of that matchup has gone on to win the National Championship.
In their quarterfinal, semifinal, and final matches, Texas followed the same pattern every time: they lost women’s doubles, then bounced back to win the next three doubles matches, clinching each victory before a DreamBreaker was needed.
Texas Christian University secured an impressive second-place finish. Newcomer Ellie Douglas, who had never competed in a pickleball tournament before this event, provided the boost TCU needed to reach the championship match. The team has shown strong consistency over the years, reaching the semifinals in 2022, the quarterfinals in 2023, and the Round of 16 in 2024, making this run to the finals a major step forward.
Semifinalists Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and Grand Canyon University (GCU) both showcased the rising depth and competitiveness of the collegiate pickleball scene.
For FAU, it was another heartbreaking loss. Despite entering the bracket as the No. 1 seed by DUPR and f No. 1 team after group play, they fell short once again, losing in the semifinals in a DreamBreaker for the second straight tournament.
GCU, on the other hand, had their best Nationals performance to date. After going 1-2 in group play in 2022, improving to 3-2 in 2023, and suffering a Round of 32 exit in 2024, their run to the semifinals this time around marks a huge leap forward for the program.
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Check out the full bracket to see the results of all teams from the tournament.
The Fall of the Blue Bloods
For the past three years, the National Championship was dominated by a trio of powerhouse programs—UNC, UVA, and Utah Tech—often referred to as the “Blue Bloods” of college pickleball. But 2025 marked a turning point. None of the three reached the semifinals, and only Utah Tech advanced as far as the quarterfinals.
UNC was knocked out in the Round of 32 by GCU and suffered their first-ever group play loss at Nationals—also to GCU. UVA fell to Samford in the Round of 16, while Utah Tech’s run ended against Texas in the quarters.
College vs. Pros
Because of their top finishes, UT and TCU have officially qualified for the Major League Pickleball (MLP) Mid-Season competition, marking the first time collegiate pickleball teams will go head-to-head with the pros in the Challenger Level bracket.
Get ready to see how college stacks up on the big stage.
All-America Teams & East vs. West Game
For the second year in a row, the Collegiate All-America Teams were announced, honoring the top 24 players across the country selected based on:
- DUPR
- Tournament Performance
- Tournament Participation
Each All-America Team features four players from the East and four from the West, split by the Mississippi River. On Friday night, the 1st Team East and 1st Team West battled in the East vs. West Game and this time, East flipped the script with a dominant 4–0 sweep after losing by the same margin last year.
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- Team West: (Left to right) Liam Duffin, Jack Munro, Zoeya Kahn, and Megan Wilcox Morales
- Team East: (Left to right starting in the middle) Ava Ignatowich, Ava Cavataio, Ryan Morneau, and Carter Maris
Event Highlights
The atmosphere? Electric. Life Time Peachtree Corners gave us indoor and outdoor courts, championship-caliber vibes, and a full fan experience, especially on Championship court.
Reign Storm was in the house with giveaways, ice-cold clean energy, and a DJ! Osaka brought the style with screenprint-your-own exclusive merch, and Frank Works delivered on-court comfort with their high-performance shoes. Also, a big thanks to our sponsor Six Zero for helping us Go Next Level with their great gear and paddles!
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Clinic with the Pro Player, Parris Todd
Hundreds entered. Only 12 were chosen.
Before the tournament even kicked off, a lucky group of students got the opportunity to train with pro player Parris Todd. From technique breakdowns to intense drills, plus a photo op, it was a session they'll never forget.
Stay up to date with all future DUPR Collegiate events and highlights on our website at https://www.dupr.com/collegiate-league and follow along on the @duprpb and @collegiatepickleball instagram.
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