After an action-packed 2025 collegiate season filled with Super Regionals, campus events, and championship-level matchups, a few programs clearly rose above the rest. Here are the college teams that delivered the strongest performances throughout the year and set the tone for what’s next in collegiate pickleball.

Utah Tech

Notable 2025 Tournament Results:

• Quarterfinalist – 2025 Collegiate National Championship
• Winner & Runner-Up – 2025–26 Utah Super Regional
• Winner – 2025 Collegiate World Championship
• Winner & Runner-Up – 2025–26 Arizona Super Regional

A perennial powerhouse, Utah Tech continues to be one of the deepest and most consistent programs in collegiate pickleball. Since the early days of the collegiate game, they’ve been known for elite talent, especially on the women’s side, and 2025 was no exception.

With standouts like Mary Monson, Ella Boydston, Dylan Ciampini, and Lauren Mercado, Utah Tech’s depth is almost unfair. In fact, their second-team women would likely start at most other schools. The team closed out 2025 on a tear, winning three straight tournaments. The big question heading into 2026: can they keep the momentum going and finish the season on top?

University of Texas

Notable 2025 Tournament Results:

• Winner – 2025 Collegiate National Championship
  
  

After coming up just short at the 2023 and 2024 Collegiate National Championships, Texas finally broke through in 2025 claiming the top spot in the country when it mattered most.

Despite dropping a few games in group play and entering the bracket as the 4-seed, Texas went on an impressive run, defeating Washington, Utah Tech, Grand Canyon, and TCU by 3-1 scores to capture the national title. Since then, the Longhorns have been relatively quiet on the collegiate scene. Will they resurface in 2026 to defend their championship? All eyes will be on Texas when the postseason rolls around again.

Virginia Tech

Notable 2025 Tournament Results:

• Winner – 2025 New Jersey Super Regional
• Winner – 2025 Roanoke College Cup Campus Regional
• Quarterfinalist – 2025 Collegiate World Championship
• Winner – 2025 Richmond College Cup Campus Regional
  
  

Flying a bit under the radar, Virginia Tech quietly put together one of the strongest regional seasons of any program in 2025. The Hokies consistently showed up and delivered wins across multiple events, proving they’re far more than just a regional threat.

With the Virginia Super Regional scheduled for February 7–8, Virginia Tech has a chance to continue asserting their dominance heading into 2026. As they demonstrated at the Collegiate World Championship, this is a team capable of making a deep run in any bracket when it counts.

2025 proved that collegiate pickleball is only getting deeper, faster, and more competitive. Utah Tech’s depth, Texas’ championship breakthrough, and Virginia Tech’s steady rise all point to one thing: the gap is closing, and every tournament in 2026 is going to feel like a postseason match. With Super Regionals and Nationals ahead, expect new rivalries, breakout players, and plenty of statement wins as teams fight to finish the season on top.

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