The APP Tour kicked off the 2024 calendar with their first-ever U.S. Collegiate Championships, announced late last year.
Twenty-six teams from around the nation competed for $50K in scholarship prize money. But it's the Utah Tech squad that started the year on top.
Averee Beck, Kami Bliss, Jared Brungard, Logan Rosenbach, and the rest of the Trailblazer team defeated the Gators from UF 49-33 in finals.
This comes as no surprise. The Utah team was ranked number 1 in 2023.
Utah at large is a veritable breeding ground for interest in pickleball. Residents Google pickleball more than those of any other state.
Plus, pickleball participation in Utah increased by 85.7% in 2022, so they must be doing something right in The Beehive State.
The APP Collegiate tour transformed Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, IN into a pickleball haven for competition weekend:
Whew! 😅 What a great first year for the #APPCollegiateChampionships! Tune in tonight at 9pm ET on CBS Sports Network to catch all the action! @CBSSportsNet
— APP Tour (@OfficialAPPTour) January 8, 2024
See your school drop their @ 👇#APPTour #APPFamily #pickleball pic.twitter.com/Yh7MpA4xtA
A couple of known college juggernauts like the University of Florida and Utah Tech were joined by schools like the University of Iowa and UCONN displaying an expanded pool of teams in 2024.
The inaugural event distributed $50,000 in scholarship money to medal winners.
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We look forward to seeing more young talent pop into the scene as the tour progresses.
