How the ACPL college padel league works
ACPL is a league, not a tournament series. Member schools play a scheduled season, qualify through Regional Championships in one of four divisions, and send four champions to the National Finals.
Is there a college padel league in the United States?
Yes —
the American Collegiate Padel League (ACPL) is the first national college padel league in the United States. Founded in 2025, it lets students compete for their universities across four regional divisions — Atlantic, Sunshine, Lone Star and Pacific — through a full season that ends in a national championship. Season 1 opens in Fall 2026.
Campus padel clubs and one-off collegiate tournaments have existed in the US for years. What did not exist was a league: a scheduled season, a qualification path, and a single national title at the end of it. That is what ACPL is.
The road to Nationals
One season, four phases, one national champion.
Sept–Oct
Challenges & Local Invitationals
The season opens with ACPL Challenges — inter-school matches to get every team battle-ready — plus Local Invitationals that start narrowing the field.
November
Regional Championships
One weekend, one champion per division. Win your region, punch your ticket to Nationals.
Dec–Feb
The Climb to March
Four division champions are locked in and the winter belongs to the rest of the league — Courtside pop-ups keep rolling, new cities and new schools, all the way to March.
March
National Finals
Four regional champions, one destination, two days of padel. Saturday's round-robin sets the field; Sunday crowns the first-ever ACPL National Champion.
Four divisions
Every school competes in its region. Win your division at the Regional Championships and you are through to the National Finals.
Atlantic
The East Coast
The densest cluster of ACPL schools — the founding cohort came out of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Sunshine
Florida
Padel's deepest US market by court count, and the fastest-growing college scene in the league.
Lone Star
Texas
Anchored by the Dallas–Austin–Houston triangle, where new courts keep opening.
Pacific
The West
California-led, with the Southwest folded in. The newest region and the most open field.
Divisional rosters and Regional Championship venues are confirmed as Season 1 fills. The Court Report carries each announcement.
The practical questions
- Who can play in ACPL?
- Any enrolled college or university student in the United States, at any skill level. No prior padel experience is required, and your school does not need courts on campus.
- What does it cost to join ACPL?
- Registering a school is free. Player membership is $25 per year.
- Does my campus need its own padel courts?
- No. Most ACPL teams play at nearby host clubs rather than on campus. Court access is one of the things the league helps you sort out.
That’s how the league works. The rest of ACPL is on the main page.
Back to ACPL home