Minor League Pickleball and The Dink Announce Joint Venture, Launch "The Dink Minor Leagues"

Partnership Will Create The World’s Largest Amateur Circuit, Support Opportunities for Players to Compete and Win Prize Money 

Austin, TX (April 15, 2024) – Minor League Pickleball (MiLP) and The Dink, pickleball’s leading media platform, today announced The Dink Minor Leagues, a new joint venture designed to grow local competitive opportunities for amateur players. 

The Dink Minor Leagues will extend the reach of MiLP to create more events and opportunities for amateur players in the United States and worldwide. With almost 4,000 participants, MiLP has gained considerable traction and acceptance among competitive amateur players due to its exciting format, frequency of events, and electrifying atmosphere. Now, The Dink Minor Leagues will host more than 200 events in the US alone with plans to expand its footprint and format worldwide.

"Amateurs drive the sport; they're the reason we're all here. We've published thousands of pieces of content to help recreational players, from beginner to 5.0, improve their game. Through The Dink Minor Leagues, we're offering an environment to put those skills into practice, compete, and have an unforgettable experience. And oh yeah, they can also win some money," said Thomas Shields, The Dink’s Founder and CEO. 

Minor League Pickleball, a subsidiary of DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating), is an innovative team competition where teams of four players (two women and two men) compete against each other in a novel and engaging format, with twists on traditional match-ups and scoring for games, matches, and tiebreakers. Under the joint venture, The Dink Minor Leagues will host over 200 events across the country, including seven new regional events and a national championship, to bring the country’s most competitive amateurs together in an unforgettable tournament weekend.

"We are excited to partner with The Dink, the premier media and news source in pickleball, to grow Minor League Pickleball into the largest amateur pickleball league worldwide by providing more and better playing opportunities and a unique ‘play like the pros’ experience," said Tito Machado, DUPR CEO. "Combining the power of The Dink’s media platform with MiLP’s exciting format and engaged community offers new ways to spotlight the game, the players and the venues, and further develop the most exciting amateur league the world has seen."

The Dink Minor Leagues Key Events 

• Northeast Regional – July 13th - 14th 
  • Bounce Pickleball – Malvern, PA 
    • Hosted by All State, Stephen Conger
• Midsouth Regional – July 27th - 28th
  • Pickleball Kingdom – Plano, TX 
    • Hosted by Caroline Luelf 
• Midwest Regional – August 10th - 11th 
  • PickleCon (Kansas City Convention Center) – Kansas City, MO
    • Hosted by iPickle Nation, Rick Fortuna 
• West Coast Regional – August 31st (Tentative)
  • Willow Pass Community Park – Richmond, CA 
    • Hosted by Carmen Sanz Pickleball 
• Northwest Regional – September 6th - 8th 
  • Cavelero Courts – Lake Stevens, WA
    • Hosted by Snoco Pickleball, Pablo Granados 
• Southwest Regional – October 5th - 6th
  • Picklemall – Tempe, AZ
    • Hosted by iPickle Nation 
• Southeast Regional – November 9th -10th 
  • All Florida Pickleball – Location TBD
    • Hosted by David Tabb 
• National Championship – December 15th - 17th 
  • Missouri Pickleball Club – Fenton, MO
    • Hosted by DUPR 
      

The Dink Minor League Format: Teams compete against each other in Matches using the MLPlay™ format, featuring team matches that are composed of four 21-point games, one women’s doubles, one men’s doubles, and the final two games consisting of mixed doubles. Teams play in a round robin pool, with guaranteed matches and a playoff bracket to determine the winning team. All participating players must have a DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) account, and teams are formed by combining the DUPR ratings of all four players. 

For a full list of events and to sign up to participate as a player or host, please visit dupr.com/minorleague.

For further information on partnership and sponsor inquiries, reach out to [email protected].

About Minor League Pickleball 

Minor League Pickleball offers an innovative team competition format, bringing together teams consisting of four players (two women and two men). Spanning multiple days, our events feature a unique and engaging format with exciting variations on traditional match-ups and scoring systems for games, matches, and tiebreakers. With events hosted in 25 states across the nation, including 108 confirmed events and 7 Regionals, Minor League Pickleball has attracted over 2500 players, providing a dynamic and competitive platform for pickleball players of all skill levels For more information visit dupr.com/minorleague. 

About DUPR 

DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) is the premier global pickleball rating system and technology platform, trusted by the world's leading clubs, tournaments, leagues and players. DUPR's dynamic rating system unifies pickleball across age, gender and location by analyzing match results to accurately evaluate all players across a 2.000 - 8.000 scale. Players and operators can visit www.dupr.com to sign up and learn more.

About The Dink 

The Dink is pickleball’s #1 media and news source, offering a range of content via its newsletters, website, podcast network and social media channels. The Dink publishes daily to over 1 million pickleball players of all levels, covering news, stories, tips & strategy, product reviews, pro analysis and basic information about the sport. The Dink is also the creator of The Pickleball Box, a pickleball subscription box, and hosts a number of pro, amateur and celebrity events throughout the year. Visit thedinkpickleball.com to learn more.