Duke administration plans to remove all East Campus courts! Please sign this petition to express your love for our beautiful courts and the communities they foster.

We urge Duke to consider not only keeping the existing courts but also investing in more facilities to accommodate growing demand. This would contribute positively towards promoting healthy lifestyles for all who use the courts.

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Duke University is one of the first and only college campuses in the nation to have dedicated pickleball courts, which were constructed just a year ago!

These courts are a treasure to the Duke community. Such accessible tennis and pickleball courts facilitate health and wellness (physical, mental, social, and emotional), new friendships, and inclusive community bonding among students, faculty, staff, alumni, and more.

These courts are also the home of student clubs such as Duke Club Pickleball, and the state-of-the-art courts have allowed us to grow and compete with other colleges nation-wide.

Duke pickleball club is only 1.5 years old and already has a student community of over 500 GroupMe members who have been enjoying and utilizing the 6 pickleball courts at Duke East. The club is growing while successfully representing Duke as one of the top college teams. For example, DUPR posted the GAMMA Power Rankings for the year and had this to say: “…stealing the spotlight is Duke University with an extraordinary leap, advancing 20 spots from #50 to #30.”  

Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in America with more than 3 million players nationwide as per USA Pickleball Association's data. According to Business Insider: “While the largest number of players are between 25 and 34 years old, the sport is equally popular among those 18 to 24 years old and those 65 and older.” Our club’s quick growth proves the strong interest in the sport at Duke along with other NC Triangle colleges having more established and large clubs with rankings in the top 10 (UNC #1 and NC State #8). 

However, we are now facing the threat of losing these beloved courts. We understand that changes may be necessary for various reasons but believe that preserving campus courts should be a priority considering their impact on the Duke community. If they are not preserved, we ask Duke to invest in new pickleball and tennis courts during the summer of 2024 for our growing community.

Please sign this petition to show your support for preserving and expanding pickleball facilities at Duke!