As pickleball continues to surge in popularity, Major League Pickleball — the buzzy pro circuit that counts LeBron James, Tom Brady and Kevin Durant among its team owners — is gearing up to make a splash.

Driving the news: MLP has finalized the format and schedule for 2023, which will see the league double its number of teams (12 to 24) and events (three to six), while ushering in promotion and relegation, Axios has learned.

MLP will announce today that Brian Levine, a former Goldman Sachs partner and top senior pickleball player, has been hired to serve as interim CEO and lead the search for a permanent CEO and exec team.
Just two years after being founded by billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Kuhn, MLP will offer up to $5 million in prize money and payouts to its players in 2023...

The intrigue: MLP will implement a promotion and relegation system in 2024, with 12 teams in the Premier Level and 12 teams in the Challenger Level. The 2023 results will determine where each team starts in 2024.