The pickleball war is over before it ever really began.

Major League Pickleball and the Professional Pickleball Association Tour’s VIBE Pickleball League will merge to form one global, co-ed, team-based league, MLP’s Steve Kuhn and PPA’s Tom Dundon announced in a joint statement.

“Coming together as one team league allows us to build much bigger events, offer more prize money, enhance player development, pursue larger media and sponsorship deals,” the league announced.

The combined league will continue using the Major League Pickleball name and format. It also plans to boast the top players in the world and maintain the high-profile team owners it has accumulated in recent months.

• LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and the duo of Tom Brady and Kim Clijsters were all confirmed by MLP.
• Anheuser-Busch — which purchased an MLP team Tuesday — is staying on.
• Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was the first of six VIBE owners announced on Nov. 3.

A league source would not confirm the number of teams or schedule format to Front Office Sports.

Pickleball Planet

The strategic merger leaves the pickleball world with two major pro circuits: Major League Pickleball and the Association of Pickleball Professionals Tour.

The latter promotion focuses more on individuals than teams.

The Oakland A’s remain in discussions for a new ballpark in both their home city and Las Vegas, but their negotiation partners are changing. 

“I know [team president Dave Kaval’s] working tirelessly in both spots,” said A’s general manager David Forst. “We’re just looking forward to having a new ballpark somewhere.”

• Last month, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said that a new stadium in Oakland “just doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.”
• He later partially modulated his outlook, saying, “We’re in a stadium situation that’s really not tenable. I mean, we need to do something to alter the situation.”

Oakland is waiting to see how much funding it receives from the Department of Transportation and other sources to help cover infrastructure costs related to a potential $12 billion development at Howard Terminal.

Elections Have Consequences

Though the A’s are unlikely to strike a deal with Oakland before mayor Libby Schaaf leaves office, she is projected to be replaced by Loren Taylor, who also supports the project.

Both Taylor and runner-up Sheng Thao abandoned city council seats to run for mayor.

Meanwhile, the Nevada governor’s race remained too close to call with incumbent Steve Sisolak trailing Joe Lombardo with 77% of the vote counted.

Sisolak has told Kaval and Manfred that there is little appetite in Nevada to offer public funds for an MLB ballpark, which could dampen the A’s prospects of moving there.

Newcastle United will receive an injection of $80.6 million after being sold late last year. 

In October 2021, a consortium led by the Public Investment Fund — Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund — purchased Newcastle for $409 million in an arduous and controversial sale. 

Before the deal was completed, activists had called on the Premier League to consider Saudi Arabia’s alleged human rights violations, arguing that a deal would be sports-washing on the Saudi Kingdom’s behalf. 

As a result, the consortium’s purchase was made separately from the Kingdom.

• Since last year, the ownership group has invested $510.5 million in Newcastle.
• The consortium owns 80% of the club.
• Property developers Simon and David Reuben own 10%.
• The remaining 10% is owned by PCP Capital Partners. 

Newcastle is in the midst of a promising Premier League season, currently sitting third in the table behind Arsenal and Manchester City.

Intriguing Offer 

Before the PIF purchased Newcastle, Manchester United owners Kevin and Edward Glazer reportedly offered the PIF a 30% stake in the fellow Premier League club worth $787.7 million.

In 2019, PIF chairman Mohammed bin Salman expressed interest in Man U but denied any deal to be imminent. The PIF would purchase Newcastle for the promise of majority ownership.

As pickleball only gets hotter in the U.S., another growing sport is looking for a similar spark. 

Officials of Teqball — a soccer-and-ping pong hybrid — are looking to add the sport to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Born in Hungary around a decade ago, Teqball is more popular overseas than in North America, but it won’t be going into the U.S. market blindly.

• In January, The Teqball Group and FITEQ, the sport’s governing body, entered an $850,000 agreement with ESPN to livestream 12 U.S. events and six tape-delayed highlight shows.
• In April, Teqball signed soccer great Carli Lloyd as its first U.S. ambassador.
• As of January, Teqball reportedly had relationships with 17 MLS teams, all of which had tables in their facilities. 

USA Teqball counts 1,000 professional players and 500,000 amateurs in the country.

There are currently no collective bargaining agreements, salary minimums, or broadcast deal shares in the U.S., and there is no union.

In 2021, Teqball generated $15 million globally, and its World Cup had a $200,000 purse.

Teqball Timeline

Teqball USA began a university tournament system earlier this year, with 400 colleges now owning tables and balls.

“No sport has ever been an Olympic sport without going through the collegiate pathway,” Teqball USA CEO Ajay Nwosu said. 

Teqball, which is played by Lionel Messi, David Beckham, and Neymar Jr., has also been added to the 2023 European Games, 2023 Asian Beach Games, and 2024 Bolivarian Games.