April 2, 2014 by Charlie Eisenhood in News with 25 comments
The preliminary end-of-season USA Ultimate rankings have been announced for both the Men’s and Women’s Divisions and the results are wild. Dozens of teams — including Central Florida (Men’s) and Brown (Men’s), both teams in the bid conversation — were left off of the rankings for roster issues.
What we know now: Central Florida submitted their roster past the USAU deadline. But it is not clear if that is the reason they are left off — it could also be for playing with an academically ineligible player. That was Brown’s issue, but the problem appears to be headed to a resolution. Many of the roster issues may well be cleared up by the time the final rankings are announced on Friday. USA Ultimate was not available for comment at press time.
Here are the top 25 rankings for both the men’s and women’s divisions.
MEN’S
Notable winners:
– The Great Lakes Region (3 bids). If this holds, it will be a stunning turnaround for a region many expected to be the nation’s worst this season. Illinois is clinging to #19 and could be easily pushed out if UCF (or possibly Brown) is reinstated.
– The North Central Region (3 bids). Northern Iowa did enough at the Old Capitol Open to hang onto their bid, helping the NC stay well represented at Nationals.
– The Northeast Region (3 bids). Stunning draw for the Northeast, who could feasibly wind up with four bids if Brown is returned to the rankings. Massachusetts did just enough at Easterns to hang on, despite brutal injuries late Saturday and all of Sunday.
Notable losers:
– The Southwest (1 bid). 4 teams in the top 25. Brutal. The region got badly hurt by poor early season performances and a lot of cannibalization. Stanford was clearly worthy of a strength bid, but they didn’t do quite enough at Easterns.
– The Southeast (2 bids). If Central Florida’s roster issue is not resolved, it will be a stunning blow to one of the country’s best regions. Could UCF be on the outside looking in? Florida and Florida State both have solid wins against them; so does LSU, who is lurking in the shadows.
– The Northwest (1 bid). Similar situation for the Northwest, which had British Columbia (#22) and Washington (#27) in the top 30. Oregon is the big favorite, but all three teams have a realistic chance at taking the lone spot at the College Championships.
WOMEN’S
Notable winners:
– The Northwest (6 bids). Can you say #evilempire? The Northwest Challenge brings home the bacon for the country’s powerhouse region and leaves them flush with bids.
– The Atlantic Coast (2 bids). Virginia and North Carolina hang on for dear life near the bottom of the top 20 and nab two bids. Both teams look poised to advance to the Championships. Either way, they’ll gladly forget last season’s lone bid disaster.
– The South Central (3 bids). A late season push by Colorado State gives three bids to the SC. Still, the region probably wishes they had four, as Kansas has played quite well this season and was in bid contention for most of the year. They fell to #23.
Notable losers:
– Southwest (2 bids). A rough performance at the Northwest Challenge pushed UCLA out of the bid cutoff and pushes the Southwest down to two bids. Stanford and UC Santa Barbara are the favorites, but the SW is notoriously deep.
– North Central (1 bid). How the mighty have fallen. The monster five bid 2013 season gives way to just a single bid this year. Carleton looks poised to take it, but Wisconsin hopes to say something about that.
