Drew Brees Becomes A Team Owner, In Pickleball

Two months ago, Drew Brees laid out possibilities for his future endeavors in a Twitter post — a response to reports he was leaving NBC Sports (a move that would become official a month later). The retired Super Bowl-winning quarterback mentioned a return to football, focusing on business and philanthropy, and trying to play golf on the senior tour. Brees also suggested he might train for the pro pickleball tour.

It turns out there was a bit of foreshadowing with the pickleball mention. Brees has joined the ownership group of one of the 12 co-ed teams in Major League Pickleball: Mad Drops PC, saying he’s looking forward to bringing more attention to the nation’s fastest-growing participation sport.

“I look forward to helping raise awareness around the incredible players and competitions in MLP, helping grow the sport of pickleball and fostering overall fan engagement,” said Brees, noting that he’s an avid player, fan and student of a game that’s seen a surge in popularity in recent years.

The number of pickleball players in the U.S. has jumped by more than 39% over the past two years, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.

Major League Pickleball, or MLP, kicked off its 2022 season with its first team competition last month in Austin, Texas, where the Mad Drops Pickleball Club is based. Brees joins an ownership roster that also includes Los Angeles Lakers co-owner Jim Buss, real estate mogul Ryan Serhant — the star of Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing New York” — and venture capital firm Good Alpha Industries.

Entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry, and former professional tennis player James Blake are among other MLP team owners. Brees and the league didn’t disclose the amount of his investment in Mad Drops PC.

MLP’s second team competition will be help Aug. 5-7 in Newport Beach, California, and will offer the largest prize purse in pickleball history ($319,000), with the winning team collecting $100,000. Events are livestreamed and broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

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