Pickleball paddles and puppy paws are sharing the spotlight in Novi this week, as the APP Detroit Open brings a $125,000 professional prize pool to the Vibe Credit Union Showplace alongside amateur brackets running from Thursday through Sunday. Tucked into the four-day tournament is a promotion called Puppies and Paddles, pairing competitive play with an on-site pet adoption drive from Michigan Humane.
The event marks the Association of Pickleball Professionals Tour's first-ever stop in Metro Detroit, arriving less than two weeks after APP Chicago and an international stop at the English Open, according to The Dink Pickleball. Several competing pros reportedly flew back to Michigan just four days after playing in the United Kingdom, per the same outlet. As WDIV ClickOnDetroit reports, the Puppies and Paddles promotion was brought to the tournament by ABC Warehouse, which partnered with Michigan Humane and the Association of Pickleball Professionals to blend court action with pet adoption.
On Sunday, Michigan Humane will host a court takeover at the Showplace, bringing adoptable dogs onto the grounds and setting up a Bark Bar offering treats for the pups, per the same ClickOnDetroit report. Attendees can watch professional play, win prizes, and potentially bring home a new dog, the outlet notes.
Jumbo Pickle Pong And Appliance Giveaways
Beyond the adoption drive, ABC Warehouse's activation includes giveaways and a jumbo pickle pong game where players try to land a giant pickleball in a bucket. Smaller prizes include JBL speakers and bandanas, while players can also scan a code for a chance to win a Maytag washer and dryer set, ClickOnDetroit reports. ABC Warehouse president Jessica Lajcaj said the company is excited about the Puppies and Paddles event and about being in the community, according to the outlet.
ABC Warehouse, founded in 1963 in Center Line, Michigan, operates more than 40 retail locations across Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana from its corporate headquarters in Pontiac, and the family-owned appliance business employs over 600 people regionally. The company's role in the promotion extends to supplying the appliances new pet owners might need after an adoption, per ClickOnDetroit.
A New Name, A Bigger Stage
The tournament's host venue carries a name that's still fairly new to Metro Detroit sports fans. Vibe Credit Union Showplace was officially renamed on January 1, 2026, after member-owned Vibe Credit Union acquired naming rights to the facility formerly known as Suburban Collection Showplace, as FOX 2 Detroit reported, a shift Hoodline previously covered as it happened. The venue sits on a 55-acre complex off Interstate 96 in Novi and offers over 600,000 square feet of total event space, including 305,000 square feet of exhibit space, making it the second-largest convention facility in Metro Detroit behind Huntington Place, according to Cvent. Its exhibit halls feature 40-foot clear ceilings and dedicated loading docks suited to large-scale indoor athletic events.
The Detroit Sports Commission had targeted national pickleball events to expand Southeast Michigan's sports tourism calendar, projecting the tournament would attract more than 1,000 professional and amateur competitors. The commission oversaw 35 amateur sporting events in 2024 that generated over $195 million in direct visitor spending, a track record that helped justify recruiting the APP Tour to the region.
Sanctioned Play And National Broadcast
The APP Detroit Open is a USA Pickleball-sanctioned tournament, and because of that sanctioning, all participating amateur and professional players are required to hold an active Challenger or Champion level membership with the national governing body. The APP has operated as the sole USA Pickleball-sanctioned pro and amateur tour since 2019. Tournament organizers set amateur bracket fees between $40 and $140 alongside spectator ticket options.
National broadcast coverage is scheduled on ESPN+ for Saturday and Sunday championship matches, with early rounds and bronze medal matches streamed on APPTV via YouTube, while the tour also arranged regional broadcast syndication on TV20 Detroit. The professional singles draw features top seeds Kat Stewart and Bobbi Oshiro in the women's division, alongside Ronan Camron and Dusty Boyer in the men's division, all advancing toward Championship Sunday. Stewart entered the final holding a 4-2 career head-to-head record against Oshiro.
The tournament's arrival also reflects how quickly pickleball has grown nationally. Association of Pickleball Professionals research published in March 2023 found that nearly 19% of U.S. adults, roughly 48.3 million people, had played pickleball in the preceding 12 months, marking a 35% growth rate over seven months. Local municipalities across Oakland and Wayne counties have expanded public courts to keep pace with demand, a trend Hoodline has tracked as Southeast Michigan communities invest in new pickleball rec facilities.
