If you’ve not played it, you’ve at least heard it: the pickleball craze is popping up around Toledo and on UToledo’s campus. Its increasing popularity is part of a national trend with about 20 million active players in 2024. The sport saw a nearly 46% increase from the previous year and its popularity is growing fastest among those aged 18-34. What started out as a few Juice House members playing together on campus has quickly turned into one of the organization’s core student groups.
These days, the group is busy recruiting on campus and in the community because, in less than 100 days’ time, this small but mighty student organization will rally 1,000 community members, business owners, high schoolers and UToledo students and faculty onto our very own campus to play and network around this rising sport.
While the sport is an easy draw for most people to stop by and play, the genesis of the upcoming event actually began in a much more personal way. More than bragging rights and pickleball fame, it’s actually the atmosphere and community that keep members coming back to Juice House’s Pickleball Blend week after week.
“I think what really attracts people is the atmosphere, the ecology we have been providing. I personally receive emails occasionally, people just thank us for providing this environment,” Mingyang Liu, faculty advisor for Juice House and program director of survey research and reporting at the University of Toledo Office of Institutional Research, said.
Every Wednesday and Sunday evening, UToledo students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members come together.
“I really love playing with all of them, meeting all of them, interacting with them, and that really motivated me to show up every single week,” Soha Patil, an information systems student and Pickleball Blend student leader, said. “It improved my consistency and it has helped my game, too.”
According to Chad Snelling, a pre-med student and Pickleball Blend student leader, students also gain valuable mentorship by being involved.
“What’s different [about Juice House] compared to student orgs is the mentorship. Most student orgs do have a mentor and they’re really goal-focused around running whatever the organization is. It’s different … I’ve learned some things,” said Snelling. “‘Success breeds confidence,’ as my old baseball coach always used to say. And just, the more you play, the more you know yourself.”
As the winter season fades, Juice House is preparing to take the blend’s spirit to a much larger stage. In the first week of the semester, student leaders gathered with UToledo advisers and community mentors to brainstorm spreading the news on the inaugural 2026 Toledo Pickleball Classic and Career Futures Expo slated for April 11, 2026.
“I am very excited about the upcoming pickleball tournament,” Patil said.
“I’m excited for the growth. I feel like the tournament in April is gonna bring a lot of people,” Snelling said.
The event features multiple levels of play, from a kids clinic to corporate teams, including a unique opportunity for student organizations to secure funding. Juice House members are also working around the clock to spread the news about the tournament, in hopes that student organizations will sign up to compete in the UToledo student organization bracket. Student organizations such as CAP, WEX and the Wiffleball Club have already registered to join the competition. After all, teams have the chance to win cash prizes to support their organization, with $500 awarded for first place, $300 for second place and $150 for third place.
In addition to the tournament, the event will also host a Career Futures Expo where students can network for internships and job opportunities, and local high schoolers get a firsthand look at the University of Toledo’s campus and culture.
The event’s twofold nature is meant to bring professional opportunities to students in a creative new way. Sponsors such as Principle Business Enterprises and Salinas Exteriors and more provide students a direct line to local businesses and industry leaders on the court and through the career expo. Joining in this community event, local supporters like Toledo Pickle Co., Jupmode, Dominos and multiple university departments represent a celebration of community, and it’s all happening right here on the UToledo campus.
“We really want to use this tournament to draw people to our campus,” Liu said. “[A]nother side of this tournament is the Career Futures Expo. So, not only playing pickleball, we would love to create a bridge in between our UT students and local business organizations, so they can come here to introduce their opportunities, job opportunities, internships to our students, and also for the local high schools to come to see [the] University of Toledo.”
Learn more about the Toledo Pickleball Classic + Career Futures Expo and see all our sponsors, partners and exhibitors here.
Register your student organization to compete in the Toledo Pickleball Classic here!
Interested in joining Juice House’s Pickleball Blend? Join our GroupMe here.
