The Dink Minor League Pickleball Championships: 2026 Schedule

The biggest team event in amateur team pickleball is getting a new spot on the calendar.

Beginning with the upcoming season, The Dink Minor League Pickleball Championships will now take place in February 2027, shifting away from its previous December schedule.

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The change is designed to better align with the growing global season for The Dink Minor League Pickleball.

The exact dates and host location for The Dink Minor League Pickleball Championships will be announced soon. Stay tuned for additional details as the upcoming season and qualification events begin to take shape.

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The Pathway to the 2027 Minor League Pickleball Championships

Players and teams can qualify for the 2027 The Dink Minor League Pickleball Championships through several different pathways within the league’s ecosystem:

USA National Leaderboard
Dream Tickets (State Championships & Regional Showdowns)
MLP MiLP Teams
International Pathways
Collegiate Pathway (launching August 2027)
USA Nations Cup Qualifier

Each pathway provides a different route to the same destination: competing at the Minor League Pickleball Championships, where teams battle for championship titles and a share of $100,000 in prize money.

1. The USA National Leaderboard

One of the most common ways players qualify for the Championships is through the USA National Leaderboard.

Players earn leaderboard points by competing in official The Dink Minor League Pickleball events throughout the season, including:

Local tournaments
State Championships
Regional Showdowns

Points are awarded based on how teams finish at each event.

For example:

1st place teams earn 1,000 points per player
2nd place teams earn 900 points
Points continue decreasing through the standings

Regional Showdowns award double points, making them some of the most valuable tournaments on the calendar.

While players compete as a team, leaderboard points are tracked individually.

At the end of the season, the top players in each division on the National Leaderboard receive invitations to assemble their teams and compete at the Championships.

2. Dream Tickets

The fastest way to secure a spot at the Championships is by winning a Dream Ticket.

Dream Tickets are awarded at select State Championships and Regional Showdowns across the country.

If your team wins gold in your division at one of these events, you automatically earn a team spot at the Championships.

How Dream Tickets Work

The gold medal team earns the Dream Ticket
Teams must keep at least two players from the qualifying event
Teams may replace up to two players if needed before the Championships

If all four original players compete at the Championships, the team will play in the same division they qualified in if all dream ticket criteria are met.

Dream Tickets are one of the most exciting parts of The Dink Minor League Pickleball system because they allow teams to secure a Championships spot with one big performance.

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3. Major League Pickleball Team Bids

Teams affiliated with Major League Pickleball (MLP) that participate in The Dink Minor League Pickleball ecosystem may also receive direct bids to the Championships.

These teams may qualify through:

Dream Ticket pathways
Wild Card selections
Special partnered events

However, players must still meet the core eligibility requirement of having competed in at least one official The Dink Minor League Pickleball event during the season.

4. International Pathways

One of the fastest-growing parts of The Dink Minor League Pickleball is its international expansion.

Countries around the world are building their own national pathways and leaderboards, allowing top players from each region to earn opportunities to compete at the Championships.

Each country will operate its own qualification structure, with the strongest teams advancing through their regional systems.

5. The College Pathway

College players have a new route to the Championships through the College Pathway.

This pathway will allow college pickleball teams to compete in qualifying events and earn their way into the Championships. All Dink Minor League Pickleball College events require players to be taking at least 6 credit hours at their school, and to play only with other students at their school.

More details on the structure of the college system will be announced as the program launches. If youre interested in hosting a college event, email minorleaguepickleball@mydupr.com

6. The Nations Cup Pathway

A brand-new pathway is also being introduced through the Nations Cup.

This international team competition will debut alongside the Championships and will feature players representing their countries.

The Nations Cup will serve as an additional pathway within The Dink Minor League Pickleball ecosystem, allowing players to qualify to represent their country on the international stage.

More details about the Nations Cup format, qualification process, and participating countries will be announced soon.

The Road to the Championships

With the Championships now taking place in February 2027, the full season of qualifying events can play out before the top teams gather to compete.

Some teams will earn their way in with a Dream Ticket victory.
Others will climb the USA National Leaderboard.
And increasingly, players will arrive through international and college pathways.

No matter the route, the destination remains the same:

The The Dink Minor League Pickleball Championships, where the best amateur teams in the sport come together to compete for titles, prize money, and the chance to prove they belong among the best in the game.