The one-weekend championships will take place at Slazenger Padel Leeds North across the weekend of 9-10 May 2026.
This brand-new BUCS Championship brings competitive padel to the higher education stage in a big way. The event will feature Men’s and Women’s competitions, with teams made up of two to three players, giving institutions the flexibility to include one reserve player.
In future seasons, both parties will explore the potential introduction of a Mixed competition depending on the demand and growth of the sport across the higher education sector.
Why you should enter?
Padel is one of the fastest-growing racket sports in Europe, fast, social and brilliant to watch. The BUCS Padel Championships will deliver a high-quality, festival feel weekend of competitive play at one of the country’s premier padel venues, with matches scheduled to create a great spectator atmosphere and strong student engagement.
Key event details
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When: Weekend of 9-10 May
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Where: Slazenger Padel Leeds North, Unit 3, Coal Road, Leeds, LS14 1PS.
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Categories: Men’s doubles and Women’s doubles.
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Team size: 2-3 players per team (doubles format).
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Entry cost: £140 per team.
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How to enter: Entry via the BUCS Play system (entries are now open).
Deadlines:
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Team Entry Deadline (Institutional Admins): 11:59pm on Thursday 23 April.
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Individual team-join deadline: 11:59pm on Tuesday 28 April.
More information about the event can be found on the Events section on the BUCS.
About the appointment
After evaluating several strong proposals, BUCS selected UK PADEL to stage the Championships for the next two seasons. The appointment reflects both organisations’ ambition to grow padel across higher education and to deliver an excellent first-year event that showcases student talent while building sustainable pathways for future participation.
Neal Kington, BUCS Head of Competitions, said: "We’re delighted to appoint UK PADEL as the delivery partner for our first-ever BUCS Padel Championships. Their expertise and commitment to growing the sport make them the ideal partner to help us stage a high-quality, student-focused event.
"We’re really looking forward to working alongside UK PADEL to deliver an exciting weekend of competition, great atmosphere and new opportunities for students to experience padel through BUCS."
Nick Baker, CEO of UK PADEL, added: "The BUCS Padel Championships perfectly capture what UK PADEL events are trying to achieve. We want to create high-quality, inclusive competitions that bring people together and provide a clear pathway from schools to universities and into the adult game. Seeing so many universities represented, the level of play on court, and the sense of camaraderie off it shows that padel is thriving in the university space. This weekend is a powerful example of how the sport is growing in the right way, with community, accessibility and long-term sustainability at its heart."
See you in Leeds!
The BUCS Padel Championships 2025-26 promise competitive matches, excellent facilities at Slazenger Padel Leeds North and a weekend of sport that’s fun to play and watch.
Enter via BUCS Play here today and be a part of history at BUCS’ first ever padel event.
