The fifth annual College Pickleball Tour Nationals brought the heat to Life Time Peachtree Corners in Atlanta, GA. With over 700 players from 64 schools and 112 teams, it was the largest college pickleball event in history! A $40,000+ prize purse was on the line, and teams showed up ready to battle it out.

The Finals: FAU Secures the Win

The 2026 Finals featured the first-seeded team from the East and West: Utah Tech and FAU. Utah Tech with a team DUPR of 21.461 and Florida Atlantic University with a team DUPR of 21.937.

The final went down like this:

WD: FAU 21–19

MD: FAU 22–20

MXD 1: UT 21–19

MXD 2: FAU 21–11

The battle was neck and neck with these top two teams, and FAU took home the win! The team featured Bella Nelson, Jayden Broderick, Ava Cavataio, and Alec Lamacchio. After falling short in a semifinal dreambreaker last year, this is their first DUPR College Nationals Championship appearance and victory! 

FAU cruised through the quarterfinals and semifinals, sweeping both the University of Wisconsin and Utah Valley University 3-0. 

Utah Tech University achieved an impressive second-place finish, with their team consisting of Liam Duffin, Clayton Boydston, Ella Boydston, and Lauren Mercado. Notably, the sibling duo Clayton and Ella Boydston were the only team to defeat an FAU team, taking one game from FAU's mixed doubles pair, Alec Lamacchio and Ava Cavataio. This win was the only game FAU lost all weekend. This Utah Tech team has shown strong consistency over the years, winning the DUPR College World Championships in 2025 and the National Championship in 2024.

Semifinalist University of North Carolina (UNC) and Utah Valley University (UVU) reflected the continued rise in college pickleball talent. 

UNC faced a difficult sweep against Utah Tech, losing all three matches. They did, however, put up a strong fight in the mixed doubles game, narrowly losing 20-22.

Utah Valley faced FAU and lost all three games played against them.

Check out the full bracket to see the results of all teams from the tournament.

All-America Teams & East vs. West Game

For the third year in a row, the College All-America Teams were announced, honoring the top 24 players across the country selected based on:

• DUPR
• Tournament Performance
• Tournament Participation

The All-America Team is composed of eight players, split evenly with four from the East and four from the West, divided by the Mississippi River. The East vs. West Game on Friday night featured a battle between the 1st Team East and 1st Team West. The competition was fierce, with the teams splitting the games 2-2, ultimately leading to an intense dreambreaker where the East claimed a narrow 21-18 victory.

• Team West (pictured below starting from the right): Liam Duffin, Clayton Boydston, Zoeya Kahn

• Team East (pictured below starting from the left): Bella Nelson, Ava Cavataio, Kallan Arledge, and Ryan Morneau 

The stakes were even higher this year as the first team All-American winners earned a spot in the MLP Mid-Season Tournament this Summer. This is one of the biggest opportunities for college players to step onto the pro stage. 

Singles National Champions

For the first time in 2 years, we crowned college singles champions! These players battled it out on Thursday to claim their spot as the best college singles players in the country. 

• Men’s Singles National Champion: Ryan Morneau, JMU
• Women’s Singles National Champion: Tate Keber, FSU

Both Ryan and Tate took home $500 for their victory, and proved they are the last players you want to face in a dreambreaker.

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‍College Season Award winners

Prior to the All America Game, Pickleball U presented awards to players based on performance during the college season. 

• The Barney - Bella Nelson & Alec Lamacchio
  
  • Named after Barney Mccallum, one of the founders pickleball
  • Highlighting the best player of the season
• Keep It Classy - Heather Kim & Christian Franke
  
  • Highlights players that show true sportsmanship on and off the court
• Jacob Smith Club Award  - University of Virginia
  
  • Named after Jacob Smith, one of the founders of College Pickleball and the organizer of the College Pickleball Tour, including The Nationals

Event Highlights

The atmosphere? Electric. Life Time Peachtree Corners gave us indoor and outdoor courts, elite competition, and a full fan experience that peaked on Championship Court. Add in perfect weather, and it was the kind of weekend you don’t want to end. 

JOOLA was in the house with demo paddles so players could test their game, while Quest Nutrition kept everyone fueled with protein shakes all day. Centerline Apparel showed up strong, so strong that they sold out. Pickleball U was on-site, capturing the action, interviewing players, and keeping the energy alive with their podcast coverage. Huge vibes all around!

Stay up to date with all future DUPR College events and highlights on our website at https://www.dupr.com/collegiate-league and follow along on the @duprpb and @college.pickleball.tour Instagram.