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Source: Major League Pickleball
Conflicts and turmoil have erupted within the world of pickleball.
Back in November, the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) and Major League Pickleball (MLP) announced their plans to merge and combine their team competition leagues, but now, they find themselves at odds.
According to CNBC, the PPA claims that MLP has failed to sign the partnership deal that was verbally agreed upon ten months ago. The PPA’s owner, Tom Dundon, and MLP’s owner, Steve Kuhn, had initially agreed to operate the joint league under the MLP brand, but the specifics of the agreement remained undisclosed.
“I cannot fathom Steve Kuhn’s true intentions throughout this whole process,” stated Connor Pardoe, CEO of the PPA Tour, in an interview with CNBC. “I’m unsure if he led us astray to gain access to our players and then establish a stronger position for himself in the future.”
Pardoe further revealed that MLP executives have been unresponsive lately and that some PPA players have reported receiving enticing offers from MLP. He warned that if MLP were to improperly recruit their players, the PPA would consider taking legal action.
On the other hand, Kuhn dismissed these allegations made by the PPA, stating that there are “several distortions of reality” occurring but without providing any specific details.
MLP responded by announcing the signing of top players to multi-year contracts with guaranteed terms. These agreements also offer players an offseason period and improved financial security. “Our aim is to increase MLP’s value and enhance the lives of our players, while propelling the sport’s growth,” said Kuhn.
Kuhn expressed that if the PPA is willing to increase player compensation, he is open to discussing a potential alignment with the league. “We urged the PPA to join us in boosting player earnings, but they dismissed the idea, claiming that our current pay scale is too high,” Kuhn shared with CNBC.
Over the past year, MLP has experienced consistent growth, attracting prominent ownership groups, witnessing team valuations rise, securing new sponsorships, and striking media deals. In July, Julio DePietro assumed the role of CEO, taking over negotiations from Zubin Mehta, who resigned from the board.
The PPA and MLP have had a complex relationship. While the PPA has traditionally functioned as a tour-style league for the world’s elite pickleball players, Kuhn introduced a team-based pickleball format two years ago, leading to the independent operation of the two leagues.
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