AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Today, the Texas Ranchers – one of the eight founding Major League Pickleball (MLP) teams in the U.S. – announced a new ownership group of power players from professional sports, fashion, business, music and entertainment. Among the more than 30 owners, the list of luminaries include #1 ranked golfer in the world Scottie Scheffler; award-winning country music star Zach Bryan and veteran managers Danny Kang and Stefan Max; United Talent Agency partner Mike G; Kenny Meisalas, partner at Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks, P.C; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett; Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson; #1 ranked American tennis player Taylor Fritz; one of the NFL’s top agents David Mulugheta; radio personality Bobby Bones; founder and designer Kendra Scott; Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves; leading marketing group Get Engaged Media and its co-founders and partners Cam Fordham, Alex Dermer and Ben Hiott; and Hollywood brand amplifiers Ken Hertz and Liz Heller.
With Texas pickleball experiencing some of the highest growth rates in the nation, the Texas Ranchers and its influential owners are positioned to drive huge local fandom as part of the sport’s skyrocketing popularity.
“Our owners are not just investing in the Texas Ranchers. We are incredibly fortunate to have a diverse group of leaders who are committed to shaping the future of Pickleball,” said Evan Floersch, President and Part-Owner of the Texas Ranchers. “With our combined resources, our vision is to expand the reach of an already popular and unifying sport to new communities and countries. We are honored to have this influential group join us as we look to redefine sports ownership and deliver meaningful societal change through our professional sports team and league.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing how the sport and fandom develop, and I’m proud to support the Ranchers in building a world class franchise in my home state,” said Scottie Scheffler, the #1 ranked golfer in the world.
“I’m all in on the pickleball rage. I’m clearly a fan of Texas sports, and I look forward to supporting the Texas Ranchers in becoming the leader in Major League Pickleball,” said C.J. Stroud, quarterback for the Houston Texans. “Texas has always been home to some of the best sports teams and passionate fans in America, and the Ranchers are going to be that next big phenomenon. But what really excites me is the Ranchers’ leadership and their vision to build communities and add diversity to the sport.”
“I’m always looking for new sports to stay active during the off-season, and pickleball has become my new obsession,” said Micah Parsons, linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys. “I love that it’s a community-oriented sport, and after playing with the Ranchers and other NFL players for a fundraiser in June, I was drawn to the team. It was a no-brainer to become an owner, and I look forward to supporting the team as it makes its mark in Major League Pickleball.”
“As a native Texan I was happy to be connected with Texas Ranchers, but also, I genuinely love pickleball and have been playing during my off-season,” said Myles Garrett, defensive end for the Cleveland Browns. “Each person that makes up this ownership group brings a little something different to the table and we’ve all come together because of a passion for the sport and to inspire community on and off the court.”
“As a proud Longhorn, both Texas sports and Austin have a special meaning for me, and when I heard there was an Austin professional pickleball team setting out to be a leader in Major League Pickleball, I knew I wanted to support the team,” said Bijan Robinson, running back for the Atlanta Falcons. “I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact that sports can have on communities, and I’m looking forward to supporting the Ranchers’ community initiatives that will set an example for the rest of the league.”
Additional new owners include: Ajay Nwosu (CEO & President, TeqBall), Navin Chaddha (Mayfield), Arjun Sethi (Tribe Capital), Max Altman (Apollo Projects), Garrett Salpeter (NeuFit), Gordie Gronkowski, Jr. (Gronk Fitness; VUE Drink), Brek Shea (Blade & Grass FC), Michael Ma (Liquid 2VC; CreatorDAO), Jesse Boskoff (Status Labs), Bill Vuylsteke (ProvidentFM), Nancy Fechnay (Founder, Unique Ventures), Ted Moskovitz (Founder, DecentraNet), Brad Palmer (Palm Ventures), Limited Ventures, Red Beard Ventures, Spencer Kaye (Transform Capital), Eric Goldreyer (bnbfinder), Tony Gupta (LXMI Capital), and TRID and Sheena Melwani (Content Creator and Media Personality), among others.
“Pickleball is a passion of mine and I spend countless hours watching Major League Pickleball on social media,” said owner and radio personality Bobby Bones. “Since I will never be good enough to play professionally, I figured why not try to be a part of a professional team in another way. I’m super pumped to be an owner of the Ranchers and to be part of this league that is growing so fast.”
“I’m thrilled to be involved with the Texas Ranchers, especially given the incredible growth of pickleball across the nation,” said Kendra Scott, Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Kendra Scott. “As a franchise, the Ranchers are rooted in social good which closely aligns with my personal and professional values. Together, we can be a force for good within the Austin community and throughout the country.”
The Texas Ranchers players and the ownership group are committed to making a positive impact in the sport and community through a number of various initiatives, including creating earth-conscious merchandise, revitalizing urban spaces through court creation in unused or neglected spaces, and activating matches at cultural events to increase excitement for the sport amongst new audiences.
The new owners join Texas Ranchers founder Bryan Sheffield and Tim Klitch, an early investor of MLP, alongside other stakeholders. Alongside the right to own and operate the franchise, the Texas Ranchers have an equity stake in MLP and DUPR, Pickleball’s most accurate global rating system.
Additional quotes from the owners are available here. For more information on the Texas Ranchers, please visit https://ranchersmlp.com/ and follow the team on Instagram.
ABOUT TEXAS RANCHERS
The Texas Ranchers is the premier Major League Pickleball (MLP) team in the United States, located in Austin, Texas. Founded by Bryan Sheffield with an investment by tech banker Tim Klitch, the Texas Ranchers were one of the founding MLP teams in 2021. Now helmed by 26-year-old serial entrepreneur, Evan Floersch, alongside Ted Moskovitz and Nancy Fechnay, the Texas Ranchers are supported by an influential list of more than 30 owners including professional athletes, artists, pop culture figures, business moguls, entrepreneurs and investors. With a mission to become America’s Pickleball Team, the Ranchers are committed to redefining what sports ownership looks like in the future and how sports can leave a lasting, positive impact on the world and countless communities. For more information, please visit https://ranchersmlp.com/.
About Major League Pickleball (MLP by Margaritaville)
Major League Pickleball (MLP by Margaritaville) is the preeminent team-based professional pickleball league and the standard-bearer for the fastest-growing sport in the United States. Founded by Steve Kuhn in 2021, MLP has since expanded from eight to 24 teams and is committed to growing the sport’s role in society and impacting every facet of pickleball’s business. MLP features nearly 100 of the best athletes in the sport spread across 24 teams – 12 in the Premier Level, home to the top 48 players drafted and 12 in the Challenger Level, featuring 48 draftees looking to make their ascension to the top of the league – a unique coed format, iconic team owners, the introduction of promotion and relegation to American pro sports, an innovative draft format, easy to understand scoring, and the largest payouts in prize money across all of pro pickleball. In December 2022, MLP named its first-ever title sponsor, Margaritaville, branding the league MLP by Margaritaville. A global lifestyle brand inspired by Jimmy Buffett, Margaritaville, has served more than 20 million travelers and consumers every year to change their latitude and attitude with Margaritaville. For more information, visit www.margaritaville.com.
For more information on Major League Pickleball, visit the official website and follow MLP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
