The Rise of the Texas Ranchers Professional Pickleball team and leading the democratization of sports league ownership
Austin, Texas is known for its culture, tech-driven economy, arts and community. However, recently, it also gained the title of the Pickleball Capital of the USA. One name connected with Pickleball’s meteoric rise and a growing professional league is Evan Floersch, an entrepreneur who transformed the sport with a visionary, innovative team ownership model.
Texas Rancher’s pro team member Christian Alshon in action
A New Vision for Pickleball
Evan Floersch set out to disrupt traditional sports ownership by establishing a unique, multi-stakeholder approach in 2022 by forming the Texas Ranchers. A now two billion dollar market, Pickleball has become a Major League. Moreover, according to the SFIA (Sports & Fitness Industry Association), it became America’s fastest-growing sport.
Evan Floersch became the youngest principal owner in pro league sports history when he purchased a controlling interest in and took charge of the Texas Ranchers, a coed professional pickleball team, at age 26.
Texas Ranchers Pickleball is backed up by the impressive investment of music icon Lil Wayne, who joined the ownership group shortly after Floersch purchased it. He stated that Pickleball is the moment and that he is excited to be part of the Texas Ranchers. Further, he added that he enjoyed watching the team spirit and couldn’t miss the opportunity to join the team’s ownership.
Just in time for the 2025 season the Texas Ranchers introduced a new collection of stylish apparel produced in collaboration with investor Lil Wayne.
Other new famous faces in the ownership group include PGA champion Scottie Scheffler, entrepreneur Kendra Scott, and the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, Dennis Wong, Zach Bryan, The Kid LAROI, Micah Parsons, and Tim Tebow. Other investors are Myles Garret, Taylor Fritz, Bobby Bones, Gordie Gronkowski Jr, Max Altman, Mike G, Sheena Melwani, CJ Stroud, Bijan Robinson, Kenny Meiselas, Todd Graves, Ken Hertz & Liz Heller, Emmanuel Acho, as well as GPs at 8VC, Mayfield, Tribe Capital, Limited Ventures, Red Beard Ventures, and Liquid 2VC. We are continuing our focus on being a majority minority-owned team. It turned the Rancher to become a powerhouse in the world of professional sports.
The founder and CEO of Ranchers, Evan Floersch, is excited about Lil Wayne and other celebrities’ investment in the team, especially Lil Wayne’s joining the team’s ownership group to serve as a strategic advisor.
He added, “Choosing to give a stake of the team in exchange for guidance from Lil Wayne and other incredible owners shows our position on reshaping sports ownership and being a positive force in the sporting community. This is not about me or any one of us in the Texas Ranchers; it’s bigger than that.”
How we got here:
We have been fortunate enough to see actual participation from our ownership group early on in the Texas Ranchers. Owners have also been impressed with the leadership team’s ability to plant our flag in a booming category many minds are rushing to capitalize on. MLP was founded by Steve Kuhn in 2021. As of March 2nd 2024, the league officially closed a merger with its competitor, the PPA Tour, and has grown the number of franchises from 12 to 22 in a single calendar year. Other notable franchise owners include LeBron James, Mark Cuban, Naomi Osaka, Tom Brady, and Kevin Durant, who recently sold a small stake in his Brooklyn Aces (2nd Division) team for $25 million.
The Explosive Growth Of Pickleball And Its Effect On Austin
Pickleball has seen a magnificent surge recently, with increasing popularity to 51.8% between 2022 and 2023, making its players reach 13.6 million, according to SFIA. Its popularity has kept on growing to 223.5% due to a recent study in 2024, and with a market value of $2 billion, it has become America’s fastest-growing sport.
Austin is reshaping itself by becoming the focal point in professional sport, Thanks to the Ranchers under the outstanding leadership of Floersch and his team. He once said, “Pickleball is not just for weekend warriors and country clubbers. It is a professional sport with global potential. We are here to set the standard and build a winning legacy for the professional sport-deprived town of Austin. With championship-caliber players like Tina Prisnik and Christian Alshon, the team is driving loyalty and recurring fan engagement.
Core Pillars Behind Texas Ranchers Revolutionary Ownership Model
The secret behind the success of Ranchers is built on five fundamental pillars:
1) By democratizing ownership and bringing leaders from entertainment, sports and business together.
2) Investment in professional athletes with high-performance coaching and premier training facilities that took pickleball to the next level of success.
3) Blending the digital and physical worlds with interactive events that pave the way to enhancing fan engagement.
4) Elevating the sport’s representation by showcasing female athletes and owners, ensuring equal prominence alongside male counterparts, with stars like Etta Wright and Tina Pisnik.
5) Placing pickleball’s footprints on the worldwide map by bringing the Ranchers team overseas, attracting international players, fans and markets that help in expanding brand reach globally.
Pickleball is entering a new era with Texas Ranchers at the forefront of the sport’s evolution, making Austin, Texas, the leader in professional sports. With the leadership of Evan Floersch, the Texas Ranchers are setting the stage for a new entrant into America’s most popular sports–pickleball.
For more information on the Texas Rancher’s and the new apparel collection go to Texas Ranchers Pickleball Team – Latest News & Updates
