The plastic crack of pickleballs echoes across the University of Florida’s campus, drawing students and faculty courtside as they line up for a chance to play America’s fastest-growing sport.
Pickleball’s popularity has skyrocketed since 2020, and UF has struggled to keep pace with the growing demand. UF’s campus only holds ten pickleball courts, meaning long wait times, constantly-packed courts and patrons who are sometimes unable to participate.
Nathan Ly, a student at UF, finds it frustrating that he is often unable to play the game due to the university’s lack of resources.
“We come here often, and sometimes we wait here for over an hour and still don’t get to play,” he said. “It’s always just so busy, which sucks because there are lots of people constantly trying to play.”
UF has responded to the lack of pickleball facilities by beginning construction on the Flavet Outdoor Recreation Complex. The site, a product of a partnership between UF Planning Design and Construction and RecSports, will include six dedicated pickleball courts, two sand volleyball courts and other amenities for students and faculty.
Marty Dempsey, RecSports director for facilities and operations, said the project’s development is a response to feedback from the student body.
“Everybody on campus wants to play pickleball nowadays. It became quite loud that we absolutely needed to have more court space,” he said. “Being in the beautiful weather of Florida, folks want to be outside, and they want to be able to recreate.”
According to Dempsey, the complex is not just limited to sports and will attempt to offer students a variety of entertainment and functions.
“We’ll also have hammocks, a pavilion for shaded seating, renovated restrooms and trails that connect all the amenities," he said. “This is a completely outdoor space, and it’ll be something that all students and faculty can use and enjoy.”
Construction on the five-acre project began in February and is expected to be completed in spring 2026, Dempsey said. The project’s cost is $6,552,004 and is being funded through the Capital Improvement Trust Fund and the president's office.
“We’re excited to be using UF’s resources on this project,” he said. “It’s something that everyone can get behind and use.”
Dempsey said that the project is meant to replace the former Broward Outdoor Recreation Complex, which closed in 2021 due to the development of Honors Village.
“The Broward facility closed around when pickleball really took off, so we went from having 32
courts in the RecSports portfolio to just 10,” he said. “We knew that losing that ground without an immediate plan to replace it was definitely tough on the community, so this project is a huge step in addressing that need.”
Andrew Meeker, project manager for UF, said that while RecSports won’t have an on-site presence, they will still engage with patrons through the site’s services.
“There will be an equipment check-out system that uses UF IDs, so people will be able to borrow frisbees, balls and other types of equipment,” he said. “The goal is to get people to come out and use the space, regardless of what they want to do.”
Meeker said that different types of lighting are also being installed to promote the use of the complex at all hours of the day.
“There's going to be a variety of sport court lighting, decorative lighting like you would see within a park environment to illuminate the public spaces and the walkways and the seating areas and the lounge areas,” he said. “The goal behind that is to have people out there at night just as much as during the day.”
To make the space more versatile and appealing to a wider range of students, RecSports plans to host events that go beyond recreational sports, Dempsey said.
“We hope to maybe be able to bring some movies on the lawn, some music that might come out there and food trucks,” he said. “We want to use Flavet’s space for more than just sports.”
The goal is to make the area a central gathering spot for UF students and faculty, through creating a “community feel,” Dempsey said.
“We're kind of hoping that this whole thing creates kind of a Central Park feel around the University of Florida,” he said. “It's just a place that people want to go and hang out, play sports, be with friends or whatever else they'd like to do outside.”
Charles Perry Partners, Inc., a Gainesville-based construction company, will undertake the project. The company has worked on projects for UF, including the Donald R. Dizney Stadium and the Graham Center.
“They’ve done great work for the university before, and we expect that to continue,” Meeker said. “We’re really excited to see how they bring the complex to life and grow RecSports' vision.”
Flavet Outdoor Recreation Complex is currently the only recreational sports project UF is working on, but it will serve as a step in the university’s plans for recreational development, Dempsey said.
“This is the only major project that is currently funded, approved and being designed, but we’re not done by any stretch. We’re benchmarking what we currently do in our portfolio and what our colleagues do in the SEC and around the country,” he said. “At the end of that, we'll identify
some areas on campus that we may take a look at for some future build.”
Ly said he is excited about what the facility means for pickleball players and other students.
“It seems like a great opportunity for everyone,” he said. “I think the increased space and courts will go a long way in getting people to play tennis or get outside and do other things.”
Victoria Rodriguez, a senior at UF, said she is disappointed that she won’t be able to use the spaces as a student, but excited that it will benefit future generations of Gators.
“I think this is good for everyone in the long run, whether they want to play sports or just study and chill,” she said. “I’m glad that they’re expanding and trying to bring more life to this part of
campus. It’s always nice to have an open space to do whatever you want.”