Club Power Rankings [September 1, 2021]

The Top 25s in each division have been remade over the past two weeks.

September 1, 2021 by Ultiworld in Rankings with 0 comments

Each week, we’ll post an updated edition of our Power Rankings here on the front page to facilitate discussion in the comments and help us share each week’s rankings via social media. The most up-to-date version can always be found on our permanent rankings page.

Our 2021 Club Power Rankings are presented by ARIA Discs, who believes ultimate is more than a sport — it’s a community. You can join ARIA to change the world through ultimate.

After missing a post last week, we’ll compare this week’s rankings to the update from August 18 so we can discuss how all the action over the past two weeks has remade each division’s Top 25.

Women’s Discussion

• With travel restrictions too tight to make a trip south for Regionals realistic, Toronto 6ixers and Quebec Iris have officially confirmed they will not be participating in the USAU Series. As such, we have dropped them from our rankings.
• After their dominant showing against top 10 opposition at Eugene reOpen with just 14 players on hand, San Francisco Fury has usurped Boston Brute Squad for the top spot in our rankings heading into the postseason. Given the strength of the rosters and results for each squad this summer, it wouldn’t be surprising to see these long-time rivals clash for a national title yet again when we get to the last day of the 2021 season.
• Portland Schwa reach a new high watermark in the history of our Power Ranking, sitting at #3 after a solid performance at Eugene. After a surprising run to the 2019 national semifinals, the Oregon program could solidify their position among the division’s elite tier at the Pro Championships this weekend and in this season’s Series.
• The announcement of a stronger-than-expected roster restores San Francisco Nightlock to their traditional spot inside the Top 10; the perennial national quarterfinalist lost a lot of top-end talent since 2019, but managed to replace it with some strong new and returning contributors.
• Results from Elite-Select Challenge shook up the middle chunk of our Top 25, with tournament finalists Columbus Rival and Washington DC Grit the biggest upward movers, now sitting at #9 and #10 respectively. With somewhat mixed results in Lebanon, Chicago Nemesis and Pittsburgh Parcha each slide out of the Top 10. Also moving up after strong showings at ESC are #16 Virginia Rebellion and #17 Colorado Small Batch, new all-time Power Rankings highs for each.
• Oakland LOL dropped two games to a San Diego/Bay Area combo pickup team at a round-robin they hosted this past weekend. While 4ks and Friends certainly boasted an impressive roster, it doesn’t stop the Bay Area contenders from sliding a few slots down to #18 and once again likely to be in a battle for the last spot out of Southwest Regionals.
• New to the Top 25 in the past couple weeks are #23 Atlanta Ozone, #24 Philadelphia Flight, and #25 Chicago Dish. Ozone won Monkey Bowl in their 2021 debut this past weekend when it was unclear if the city would even field a women’s team this year. Flight and Dish have been hanging around on the fringes of the Power Rankings for a while thanks for strong play at Philly Open and Heavyweights respectively, and get in at the expense of the dropped Canadians.

Men’s Discussion

• As was the case in women’s, the men’s Top 25 bid adieu to two perpetually strong Canadian programs that have chosen not to participate in the USAU Series this year. Expect both Vancouver Furious George and Toronto GOAT to be back in the mix next year.
• A commanding victory at Elite-Select Challenge sees #15 Virginia Vault inch up an extra spot since mid-August, as they look set to challenge for the Mid-Atlantic’s second bid with #16 Pittsburgh Temper. A disappointing showing in Lebanon sees Tampa Bay UpRoar fall out of our rankings.
• Golden Fungi made their Power Rankings debut last week thanks to a strong showing at SFI West, and are now all the way up to #23 thanks to the Canadian departures. #24 Raleigh-Durham United return to the Top 25 for the first time since the preseason, and #25 Houston H.I.P. return for the first time since September of 2019.

Mixed Discussion

• Three marquee mixed tournaments remade the Top 25 last week, including changes at the top. Washington DC Space Heater are the new #1, with Seattle Mixtape close behind at #2, while two-time defending champs Philadelphia AMP slide to #6 after a 2-3 showing at the home tournament.
• Boston Sprocket were also winners at AMP Invite; despite playing just one day, an upset victory over the hosts bump the first-year team up to #11, just behind their Beantown rivals Slow.
• Ann Arbor Hybrid also made a huge jump up the board in the past two weeks, up seven spots to #12 thanks to a resounding tournament title at Elite-Select Challenge. They replace previous #12 Kansas City United, who tumble down eight spots after being knocked out in the semifinals in Lebanon. Other ranked ESC participants — #16 Cleveland Crocs and #19 Columbus Cocktails — mostly held steady after the event.
• Top 5 Seattle squads Mixtape and BFG dominated the Spokane Mixed Ultimate Tournament (S.M.U.T.), but two more teams from the Emerald City now also find themselves ranked. Birdfruit was a surprise third-place finisher at S.M.U.T. and enter the rankings at #17, while brand new program Sorta slot in at #14 based on the promise of their impressive roster as well as a win over Birdfruit in an early-August scrimmage.
• Boise Lochsa and Montana MOONDOG both finished behind Birdfruit at S.M.U.T. and each slip seven spots down the board. With fellow S.M.U.T. overachievers Portland Administrators new to the rankings at #24, the Northwest once again looks stacked with a slew of qualified teams that will be battling for three bids to Nationals.
• Los Angeles Lotus, Madison NOISE, and Huntsville Space Force have all been bumped out the back end to make room for the new additions, but join a host of teams on the cusp that could easily find themselves ranked again soon with strong results in the Series.