In an official statement from Seton Hall University Athletics, the school has committed to investing $1,250,000 in a new Division I pickleball team that will compete in their inaugural season in 2026-2027.
An excerpt from the statement reads:
“To capitalize on one of the most rapidly growing sports in the United States, Seton Hall University Athletics is proud to announce the formation of a Division I pickleball program. We are committed to continuing an elite legacy of competing at the highest level of collegiate sport. We look to bring the storied excellence of Pirate Athletics to the 2026-2027 Fall pickleball season.”
Head coach and Camden native Gerald “Jerry” Atric will be at the helm, bringing with him decorated assistant coaches Pieck Kelle from Munich and Unnat Lettick from Delhi.
“I’m extremely grateful to the university for bringing me on board,” Atric said. “Seton Hall hired me to win, so that’s what we’re going to do.”
Atric, 82 years old, started to say something else, but then forgot what he was going to say.
Forbes describes pickleball as “America’s fastest-growing sport” because of its ease of access for new players and high skill ceiling for seasoned veterans. The sport appeals to players of all ages, as anyone can pick up and play. Pickleball can be played within existing sports ecosystems, taking over tennis and basketball courts nationwide. From its humble beginnings in Bainbridge Island in 1965, pickleball has emerged as a national phenomenon with mixed reviews. Seton Hall’s student population was no different.
“It’s very exciting,” said sophomore health and medical sciences major Tyler Lee approvingly, “I love pickleball and I would 100% try out for that team.”
Under SHU Athletics’ Instagram post announcing the team, a user by the name of pickleballglazer587 called it “the greatest decision Seton Hall has made since 1856.”
Other respondents were less enthusiastic.
Junior accounting and finance major Logan Muraszko said, “Pickleball is like the junior equivalent of tennis. I think tennis is just a more physically demanding sport, and pickleball is just for the casuals that want a taste of what it is.”
There were also concerns that the school budget could be spent more prudently.
“Man, school budget on pickleball,” freshman finance and technology major Derek Espineli said. “I live by a local pickleball place, and 90% of the time I see people that are 55 and older, so not sure who’s gonna be on the D1 pickleball team for Seton Hall University.”
At the Richie Regan Athletic Center, pickup basketball players have also been disgruntled by the loss of their courts to pickleball nets. One particular basketball player was outraged at these developments.
“It’s an affront to all things athletic,” senior Bass Ketbull said. “Why is the free trial of tennis getting millions of dollars from the school budget?”
As Seton Hall gears up for its inaugural pickleball season, it is truly anyone’s guess where the sport will take them.
DISCLAIMER: The Shhh…tonian is a satirical version of The Setonian. These stories shouldn’t be taken seriously.
Christian Hui is the assistant editor for The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at christian.hui@student.shu.edu.
