UPA Championship Series

The UPA Championship Series is the largest and longest running UPA program (in 2004 nearly 80% of the UPA's members competed in the at least one division of the Series). In fact, the UPA was started in 1979 to provide the structure, resources, and communication necessary to run a national championship, which has evolved into the current Championship Series program.

Since the first UPA championship in the Open Division, the Championship Series program has expanded to include 8 divisions in which teams are awarded UPA Championships each year, including High School Open and Girls, College Open and Women, Club Open, Women, and Mixed, and Masters Open. In 2005, with the growth and evolution of the Youth Division, several more championships were added to the Youth Championship program including High School Eastern and Western Championships and the Youth Club Open, Girls, and Mixed Championships.

In the Club and College Divisions the Championship Series is structured with three tiers of competition. The entry level for the Series is Sectionals, where eligible teams register for and compete in their Sectional Championship for the right to advance to the Regional Championship. Teams at the Regional Championships in turn compete to advance to the UPA Championships (aka Nationals). Bids are awarded to Regionals and the UPA Championships based on a system that combines automatic bids with wildcards based on the strength and/or size of sections and regions. The Masters Division works on the same principles, but starts at the Regional level. The Youth Division championships are modified invitationals, with eligibility criteria tied to other UPA Youth state and league level events.

The UPA Championships are the gold standard by which many competitive Ultimate players and teams measure themselves. These tournaments are showcase events which probably attract more attention from within and outside of the Ultimate community than any other. The level of play is the highest in the world, and the spirit of sportsmanship on display under incredible competitive pressure is inspiring and what this sport is all about. The Series offers an environment for Ultimate players throughout the US and Canada to form friendships and rivalries, test themselves physically and mentally, and showcase the sport at its best.

The Championship Series is run by a large staff of volunteer area and division coordinators with support from the Championship Director and other staff at UPA headquarters. Other volunteers essential to the operation of the Series include committee members who specialize in elements of competition such as rules, eligibility, tournament formats, and observers.

The College and Youth Divisions are run in the spring and summer. The Club Divisions are run in the fall. The Club Series is the largest and most competitive series of Ultimate tournaments in the world with over 10,000 participants on 600 teams.

To find out more information about the Series, whether you are interested in competing in, watching, or hosting an event, check out the following links.

Host a UPA Championship Event
Club Division
College Division
Youth Division
UPA Contacts