2026 APP SELKIRK US Collegiate Championships Recap

Tournament Recaps,

🏆 Tournament Overview

  • Date & Location: March 6th – March 8th, 2026 | The Courts, Cape Coral, FL
  • Teams: 🏫 Over 25 Schools Represented, 146 Players
  • At Stake: $32,500 for Team Event, $17,500 for Individual Event

🏆 Final Result

FAU Goes Back-to-Back! Owls Take Down Utah Tech to Claim APP Selkirk US Collegiate Championships.

The tournament largely played out according to the script. Up until the finals, the draw was mostly chalk with the top seeds advancing as expected. There were no major upsets and little doubt about which teams would ultimately meet in the championship match.

The only team that looked capable of shaking things up was UT Austin (Eli Trumeter, Jack Munro, Erin Johnsen, and Victoria Falk), but they ultimately finished right where they were seeded, falling to FAU (Jayden Broderick, Alec LaMacchio, Gianna Jarman, and Bella Nelson) in the semifinals.

That set up a highly anticipated championship showdown between #1 seed Utah Tech 1 (Liam Duffin, Clayton Boydston, Lauren Mercado, and Ella Boydston) and #2 seed FAU.

Utah Tech came out strong, winning the women’s doubles match convincingly. The men’s doubles battle was much tighter, featuring intense back-and-forth rallies before FAU pulled out a thrilling 16–14 win, capped off with an emphatic ATP.

With momentum on their side, FAU carried that energy into the mixed doubles matches—winning both to secure the championship.

The victory marks FAU’s second collegiate national championship in as many weeks, cementing the Owls as one of the hottest teams in collegiate pickleball right now.

🎯 Key Takeaways

APP Collegiate Nationals delivered a fun and competitive weekend of pickleball, but it also highlighted some of the bigger questions surrounding the future of collegiate competition.

Although smaller than the other collegiate national championships this season, APP Selkirk US Collegiate Championships offered a unique and enjoyable experience for the players who attended. With just under 150 competitors—roughly a third the size of NCPA Nationals—the event had a more intimate feel that allowed players to connect, compete often, and enjoy the atmosphere throughout the weekend.

One of the highlights was the wide variety of events. In addition to the team competition, players were able to participate in an individual event which included gender doubles, mixed doubles, and singles. The format ensured that teams got plenty of court time, and no one left feeling like they only played a handful of matches.

Shout out to Selkirk too. They also added to the experience by organizing creative contests and fun competitions throughout the event, giving the tournament a festive and engaging vibe for both players and spectators.

From a broader perspective, the collegiate pickleball landscape is becoming increasingly competitive between tours. With CPT and NCPA dedicating much of their focus specifically to collegiate competition, they currently capture a significant portion of the collegiate player base. APP, meanwhile, operates across many areas of pickleball beyond the college scene, which creates a different strategic focus.

Eligibility rules will likely play a major role in shaping future participation. One challenge facing collegiate events across the sport is ensuring that the competition truly reflects college programs rather than outside players taking advantage of minimal enrollment requirements. In some cases, highly skilled players enroll in the minimum number of online credits simply to qualify for collegiate events and compete for prize money, which can create an uneven playing field for full-time students representing their schools.

With CPT already announcing stricter eligibility rules for next season, it will be interesting to see how APP approaches this issue moving forward. If their rules remain more flexible, the tour could continue to have those going pro taking credits to compete for prize money.

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đź“… Next Up

26-27 Season to be announced.  All 26-27 Tournaments will be published – Full Schedule