Colorado Springs, Colo. (August 26, 2025)—The 2026 USA Ultimate College Championships will take place in Illinois as the cities of Rockford and Waukegan were awarded bids to host the Division I and Division III events respectively, the national governing body for the sport of ultimate in the United States announced today.
The D-I Championships will be held May 22-25 at the Mercyhealth Sportscore Two athletic complex and the D-III tournament will take place May 16-18 at Waukegan’s Greg Petry Sports Park. Both events will be co-hosted by Illinois Ultimate.
USA Ultimate’s College Championships represent the culmination of the college ultimate season as more than 600 colleges and universities across North America compete for one of 72 invitations and a chance to compete for one of four national titles. The D-I tournament will host 40 teams (20 each in the men’s and women’s divisions), while the D-III tournament, which caters to smaller schools with undergraduate enrollment of less than 7,500 students, will host 32 teams (16 in each division.) All totaled, roughly 2,000 student-athletes will compete over the 10-day span.
Separated by just 70 miles, Waukegan and Rockford are adjacent to several ultimate hotbeds, including Chicago, Minneapolis and Madison, making championship-level ultimate easily accessible to the midwestern fan base.
“Illinois Ultimate is proud to be hosting the 2026 College Championships,” commented Illinois Ultimate Director of Operations Jacob Nuxoll. With the support of our Chicagoland community, we look forward to welcoming teams and fans back to our state for these premier events.”
Rockford previously hosted the D-III Championships in 2018 and 2015, as well as USA Ultimate’s Club National Championships in 2016. The D-I Championships return to Illinois for only the second time in its 42-year history, having been hosted by Champaign-Urbana in 1995.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome the D-I College Championships to our community,” said Go Rockford Sr. Sales Manager Kara Davis. “Bringing an event of this caliber to our region is not just a win for sports – it’s a celebration of teamwork, passion and the vibrant energy that collegiate athletics brings. We are honored to host some of the most talented young athletes in the nation, and I can’t wait for our local fans, families and businesses to experience the excitement and camaraderie that ultimate fosters.”
“On behalf of Visit Lake County, we are excited and honored to welcome USA Ultimate to Waukegan,” added Teresa Lewis of the region’s CVB. “We are proud to support events that showcase the athletic spirit and energy of out communities. As USA Ultimate brings its passion and talent to the fields of Waukegan, we look forward to providing a warm and memorable experience for all participants, families and fans. With our outstanding facilities, welcoming communities, and passion for sports, we are ready to deliver an unforgettable tournament.”
The 2026 College Ultimate season kicks off in January with a 13-week regular season as teams compete to earn bids to nationals for their respective geographic regions. Following the regular season, teams qualify for nationals through a series of conference and regional tournaments in the spring. Defending champions include Carleton College (D-I Men), University of British Columbia (D-I Women), Lewis & Clark College (D-III Men) and Wesleyan University (D-III Women.)
