Colorado Springs, Colo. (January 14, 2025)—The USA Ultimate College Championships will return to the west coast next spring as Burlington, Wash. was selected as the site of the 2025 Division I event, USA Ultimate announced today.
The four-day tournament, which annually hosts North America’s top college ultimate teams, will take place over Memorial Day weekend, May 23-26 at Skagit River Sports Complex and Burlington-Edison High School.
DiscNW and Skagit Tourism Bureau will serve as co-hosts along with USA Ultimate.
Washington last hosted the college championships in 2004, followed by Corvallis, Ore. in 2005, marking the tournament’s last appearance on the west coast aside from the 2021 edition in Southern California.
“DiscNW is honored to partner with USA Ultimate to bring the D-I College Championships back to Washington for the first time in more than 20 years,” commented DiscNW Executive Director Jude LaRene. “Our staff, board and volunteers are excited to share our community’s love of ultimate with thousands of athletes and fans who make this event an incredible annual celebration of the sport.”
Celebrating its 41st edition in 2025, the USA Ultimate College Championships represents the culmination of the college ultimate season. Each year, more than 600 colleges and universities field teams to compete in a 13-week regular season followed by a postseason series of conference and regional qualifying tournaments. Forty teams – 20 each in the men’s and women’s divisions – will earn an invitation to Burlington to compete for a national title.
The Pacific Northwest is considered one ultimate’s geographical hotbeds and features several notable programs and perennial contenders in the college ranks. In 2024, qualifying schools included British Columbia, Oregon, Oregon State, Victoria (B.C.) Washington and Western Washington. Since the tournament’s inception in 1984, those schools have combined for a total of 94 appearances and six national titles.
Defending champions include Brown University in the men’s division, and North Carolina, winners of four straight national titles, in the women’s division.
“We are thrilled to host the USA Ultimate D-I Championships here in Skagit Valley,” added Skagit Tourism Bureau CEO Kristen Keltz. “This event not only highlights the athleticism and spirit of ultimate, but also showcases our region’s natural beauty and vibrant community. Welcoming players, families and fans from across the nation provides a tremendous opportunity to support local businesses, foster community pride and demonstrate why Skagit Valley is a premier destination for events of this caliber. We look forward to creating an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.”
ESPN returns as the tournament’s broadcast partner for the 12th consecutive year and will again carry both championship games live on ESPNU (men’s final: 2:00 p.m. ET; women’s final: 4:30 p.m. ET, 5/26). Ultiworld will again serve as the event’s livestreaming partner and will feature programming from pool play through semifinals.
USA Ultimate’s D-III College Championships, which hosts smaller schools with enrollment of less than 7,500 students, will take place the preceding weekend in a yet-to-be-determined location.
