The team has more than 35 owners spanning sports, entertainment, fashion, technology and business. Here are four, including CEO Evan Floersch, on why they got involved.
1. Lil Wayne, Texas Ranchers Co-Owner Strategic Advisor
Lil’ Wayne’s involvement was announced in October, and he says, “Pickleball is the moment, and I’m excited to be a part of the Texas Ranchers ownership team to help carve out the team’s brand and place in culture.” As an advisor he’ll support creative ideation and the development of future apparel collaborations and work with the team to build pickleball courts in underserved areas
2. Kendra Scott, Co-Owner, Founder & Executive Chairperson
“I’m thrilled to be involved with the Texas Ranchers, especially given the incredible growth of pickleball across the nation. 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.”
3. Scottie Scheffler, Texas Ranchers Co-Owner and #1 Ranked Golfer in the World
"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.”
4. Evan Floersch, Co-Owner and CEO
"From the get-go, we set out to build a team that, at its core, was centered in pop culture to support our mission of becoming one of the most recognized brands in American sports. Having Wayne's guidance, along with the rest of this incredible ownership group, emphasizes our stance on redefining sports ownership and being a positive force for good in our local pickleball community and beyond," says Evan.
He adds, “We have a diversified group of leaders who make up our ownership group that are all committed to shaping the future of pickleball. I’m really proud of the group we have curated. From Lil Wayne to Scottie Scheffler and Micah Parsons to Kendra Scott, we have owners from music, entertainment, professional sports, fashion, business and tech. There’s no other ownership group in the league that has that mix of people who are both influential and bought fully into our ambitions. We’re redefining the sport in ways that go beyond the court and we’ll have a positive imprint on every community we touch. Our current and ongoing efforts include 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 pickleball amongst new audiences.”
Some of the other part-owners include country music star Zach Bryan, 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, radio personality Bobby Bones, Raising Cane's founder Todd Graves and Devon Low & Jeremy Hills of The Kollective.
The team, comprised of a fluid line-up of four players, often play at Eastside Paddle Club, a member’s club with six indoor courts and four rooftop courts. The Texas Rancher’s original co-founder/owner Tim Klitch, who sold the team, now co-owns popular pickleball spot Austin Pickle Ranch (featured on the cover!) with Dan Keelan. Unlike some of the new members clubs, Tim has said he built Austin Pickle Ranch, which is open to the public, so that the sport is accessible to anyone who wants to go out and play. But, courts should be booked in advance on the website.
Eastside Paddle Club
979 Springdale Rd., Suite #115, Austin, TX 78702
https://www.eastsidepaddleclub.com/
Austin Pickle Ranch
1717 West 6th St, 4th Floor of the Parking Garage, Austin Texas, 78703