Fields Set for the USA Ultimate College Championships

Colorado Springs, Colo. (May 4, 2026) – With the final round of college regional events wrapping up this past weekend, the field is now set for the upcoming Division I and Division III USA Ultimate College Championships.Out of more than 600 colleges and universities across North America, 72 teams have now earned the chance to advance to these events, taking place later this month in Illinois. With these final qualifiers determined, the college season draws close to its exciting conclusion where roughly 2,000 student-athletes will compete across more than 200 games for one of four national titles.

USA Ultimate, the national governing body for the sport of ultimate in the United States and member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee — in partnership with Go Rockford and Visit Lake County — invite these student-athletes, team personnel, their families and fans to explore all that these premier events, and communities hosting them, have to offer. Located in the greater Chicago area, both events are conveniently accessible from Chicagoland, as well as the vibrant ultimate communities across southern Wisconsin. 

The D-III Championships, which hosts schools with undergraduate enrollment of less than 10,000 students, will take place in Waukegan, Ill. from May 16-18 at Waukegan’s Greg Petry SportsPark. Featuring 32 teams (16 each in the men’s and women’s divisions) the D-III event includes teams ranging from Washington to North Carolina, and California to Maine. Event tickets, directions, lodging information and other event details are available on the D-III Championships website. Tickets to this event will be sold exclusively online. Those looking to enjoy the area are encouraged to check out additional resources from Visit Lake County.

The D-I Championships will occur over the following weekend. Running May 22-25 at the MercyHealth Sportscore Two facility in Rockford, Ill., this event features 40 teams (20 in each division) from across the US and Canada. In addition to witnessing some of the best competition college ultimate has to offer, attendees at this event will get the chance to experience a Color of Ultimate showcase game and be present for the presentation of this year’s prestigious Callahan Award. Tickets can be purchased on the D-I event website for a discounted price, or in person for the full ticket cost. The site also includes event details and area information. Visitors to the area can access additional sightseeing and local activity information with Go Rockford.

“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,” said Kara Davis GoRockford Senior Sales Manager. “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.”

For those who cannot attend these premier events in person, extensive live coverage from both Championships will be provided through USA Ultimate’s streaming partner Ultiworld, and the Division I finals will be broadcast live on ESPN-U. 

The Qualifiers

Once again, Carleton College – a historic college ultimate powerhouse – will be sending a team to both divisions of both events. A D-III college by scale, Carleton’s elite teams compete in the D-I conference where in 2025 they not only earned their way to the D-I Championships, but won the title in the men’s division, and lost the final in a close 14-13 matchup against British Columbia in the women’s division. 

Other D-III schools with teams competing in both the men’s and women’s divisions include Lewis & Clark, Macalester, Middlebury, St. Olaf and Whitman – and for the D-I Championships those schools are Cal Poly, Colorado, Michigan, North Carolina, Oregon, UC Santa Cruz and Washington.

D-III Qualifiers

D-I Qualifiers

* These schools have teams qualified to compete in both divisions.