INDUSTRY NEWS

NCAA Agrees to $2 Million Tennis Prize Money Settlement in Landmark Eligibility Case

The NCAA has agreed to a $2 million settlement fund for current and prospective Division I tennis players who forfeited tournament prize money to preserve their college eligibility, marking another significant shift in the financial rules governing amateur athletics. The proposed settlement stems from a federal antitrust class-action lawsuit brought by tennis players Reese Brantmeier and Maya Joint, who challenged restrictions that prevented athletes from retaining prize money earned in professional competitions before entering college. Under the agreement, the NCAA will eliminate restrictions on prize money earned before initial full-time college enrollment, a policy change that extends beyond tennis to student-athletes across all NCAA sports.

US Squash and Dunlop Renew Partnership, Launch Initiative to Grow Participation

US Squash and Dunlop are extending their longstanding partnership, with the equipment manufacturer continuing as the organization’s Official Ball Supplier while introducing a new initiative aimed at making squash more accessible to recreational and developing players.

Central to the agreement is the “Use the Right Ball” campaign, which promotes five different squash ball types matched to five levels of play. The initiative addresses a common barrier to entry in squash: beginners often struggle with competition-level balls that require greater hitting power and sustained rallies to perform properly.

1.800.ASK.DAVE Signs On as Presenting Sponsor of All Florida Pickleball Circuit

The All Florida Pickleball Circuit (AFPC) has secured 1.800.ASK.DAVE, the consumer-facing brand of Florida personal injury law firm Dismuke Law, as presenting sponsor of its 2026–27 season. The partnership introduces subsidized tournament entries, additional prize money and player giveaways as the regional circuit looks to strengthen participation and competitive opportunities across the state.

Under the agreement, 1.800.ASK.DAVE will cover registration fees for the first 30 eligible players at each tournament stop, supporting up to 180 player entries throughout the season. 

CLUBS

CourtsApp Goes National, Bringing 67,000 Racquet Sports Facilities Into One Marketplace

CourtsApp is taking its racquet sports booking platform nationwide, announcing an expansion that brings more than 67,000 facilities and 280,000 courts across the United States into a single digital marketplace. The move positions the New York-based company to capitalize on growing participation in tennis, pickleball, padel and other racquet sports while addressing one of the industry’s persistent challenges: fragmented court discovery and reservation systems.

Founded by entrepreneur and real estate developer Daren Hornig and creative executive Kate Daggett, CourtsApp initially launched in the New York tri-state area with a model designed to simplify court reservations. The platform now covers seven sports, including squash, badminton, racquetball and table tennis

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The Business of Pickleball: Inside a $35 Billion Industry with Carl Foster and George Domaceti

George and Carl break down what it actually takes to run a show with over 100 vendors and major sponsors like Humana, and why the business side of pickleball — franchises, capital investment, rating systems, media rights — has exploded right alongside the sport itself. They get into the real numbers behind a $35 billion industry, the strategic partnerships forming between competing facility owners, and the ongoing (and complicated) push to get pickleball into the Olympics.