Colorado Springs, Colo. (July 13, 2026) – USA Ultimate, the national governing body for the sport of ultimate in the United States and member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, has recently welcomed two new affiliates, expanding the program to include 50 local disc organizations nationwide.
The two most recent additions, Cincinnati Ultimate Players Association (CUPA) and Charlotte Ultimate, represent well-established ultimate communities with a history of hosting national events as well as providing a diverse range of local playing opportunities. USA Ultimate is pleased to partner with these robust organizations to support the work they are doing to grow the sport at the local level.
So far in 2026 USA Ultimate has welcomed five new affiliate organizations, with NWI Ultimate (Indiana), Richmond Ultimate (Virginia) and Triad Ultimate (North Carolina) also joining earlier this year. All affiliate organizations provide critical access to the sport for their communities. USA Ultimate is proud to support local disc organizations of all sizes as they advance their missions and, simultaneously, the mission of USA Ultimate.
Affiliation with USA Ultimate includes many benefits, and the program is one of the key ways USA Ultimate contributes directly to the growth of ultimate at the grassroots level. Affiliation is available at three levels to support the distinct needs of a wide variety of organizations. Tier One affiliates receive the most significant benefits, and must also meet the highest annual benchmarks for hosting events and investing in the growth of their local programs. Tiers Two and Three offer both lower levels of support and fewer requirements for sanctioned event participation based on the size and needs of the organization.
All affiliates get access to USA Ultimate membership rebates, event insurance coverage and free event sanctioning, and receive priority in the bid selection process for championship events as well as priority consideration for grants and other programming. In addition, affiliate organizations also receive direct coaching and support from USA Ultimate staff, free attendance to the annual Organizers Convention and have access to an ever expanding pool of resources for marketing, event programming and more. For 2025, USA Ultimate distributed over $157,000 across 45 affiliate organizations.
Organizations interested in learning more about the USA Ultimate affiliate program should contact Stacey Waldrup, Director of Member Services & Community Development at stacey@hq.usaultimate.org.
