We reveal our preseason Top 25 for the 2025 D-III college season, starting with #16-25!
January 15, 2025 by Ultiworld in Rankings
Ultiworld’s College Power Rankings, presented by the National Ultimate Training Camp!
We are excited to present the 2025 preseason College Power Rankings! As we head into a new season, we’ve looked at past performance, roster changes, preseason results, and more to figure out how we think the team could stack up this season. Take a look at our first rankings set of the spring college season and read up about each Top 25 team.
We will be counting down our rankings in three parts:
The #25 to #16
The #15 to #6
The Top 5
D-III Women’s
16. Grinnell Grinneleanor Roosevelt
2024 Finish: #18 in Power Rankings, 14th at Nationals, 7-11 record
Grinnell was one of the shock teams of 2024, playing in just one regular season tournament only to take down Michigan Tech twice en route to stealing the NC’s fourth bid. Their first Nationals in nine years had lows, like missing players to graduation conflicts, amidst highs – winning back-to-back games in consolidation to close the tournament – they can carry into 2025 with the chance of earning a bid of their own.
– Theresa Diffendal
17. Trinity Altitude
2024 Finish: #16 in Power Rankings, N/A at Nationals, 22-6 record
Consistently outside looking in, Trinity seems to get closer and closer to a Nationals bid every season. Altitude have a bit of an uphill battle against Colorado College Zenith and an always dangerous Rice Torque team. But Altitude did show flashes last year, beating Zenith in pools at the South Central ConfRegionals. This might be the year they finally punch through.
– Zack Davis
18. Michigan Tech Superior Ma’s
2024 Finish: #19 in Power Rankings, N/A at Nationals, 10-6 record
After scrapping to get to ten games in 2024’s regular season and earn the region a bid, the NC’s wild wind and a rampaging Grinnell scrapped the Superior Ma’s hopes of a return to Nationals. Fall ultimate though it may be, Michigan Tech did take down the Grinneleanor Roosevelts at Exit 69. The Ma’s will be itching to replicate the feat in sanctioned play.
– Theresa Diffendal
19. Union Jillz
2024 Finish: #10 in Power Rankings, T-7th at Nationals, 23-5 record
The South East regional D-III power house is once again starting in the top 25, and with good reason. The team has now made the bracket stage in the last two college Nationals, and made it to the quarterfinals last year before falling to the eventual champions Portland. Union may have graduated three impact players last year, but Anna Forbes, Caroline Lukasick, and Sarah Trouwburst each have the ability to fill in the gaps and lead the Jillz back to the promised land.
– Zack Davis
20. Rochester EZ Women
2024 Finish: #20 in Power Rankings, N/A at Nationals, 16-6 record
Rochester settles in the middle of the pack despite managing to give many East Coast schools close contests. With the return of April Loy, Kaitlin Chung, and Lexi Simard, Rochester is on the hunt to make all their wins, dare I say, look EZ.
– Raquel Alegria
21. Electric City Scranton Ultimate
2024 Finish: #21 in Power Rankings, N/A at Nationals, 6-3 record
An unknown in a division that can feel full of unknowns, Scranton sent shockwaves through the division last postseason when they showed up at Ohio Valley Sectionals and handed Haverford/Bryn Mawr an L. Though the Sneetches thoroughly righted the ship at Regionals,, Scranton still took down Lehigh on universe to make the final. While they won’t have the element of surprise this postseason, they’ll have a year of experience, and that could be even more potent.
– Theresa Diffendal
22. Lehigh Gravity
2024 Finish: #22 in Power Rankings, N/A at Nationals, 21-6 record
Lehigh is always a threat to nab a second bid for the Ohio Valley, narrowly finishing outside the picture in 2024. While Gravity lose some experience to graduation, they return much of a young core with local club experience, including all of last year’s captains. If they keep up the regular season trend of playing out-of-region competition – and playing well – there’s hope for a two bid MA and Lehigh at Nationals in 2025.
– Theresa Diffendal
23. Richmond Redhots
2024 Finish: #24 in Power Rankings, 16th at Nationals, 12-12 record
After a barnburner of a regionals – securing back-to-back wins over the same team to reach the final and, there, winning on universe to claim the sole bid to Nationals – Richmond cooled off in Milwaukee. But the now-seasoned team is only down two graduates, and a strong incoming class paired with the addition of Raleigh Radiance’s Sydney Kelley to the coaching staff adds to the Redhots’ potential for a scorching hot season.
– Theresa Diffendal
24. Occidental WAC
2024 Finish: #23 in Power Rankings, 15th at Nationals, 7-10 record
National runs can be tough on Occidental, but getting there has been a breeze. The young leadership of Lily van Linder and Nora Youngelson can be enough to bring WAC back to Nationals and rewrite their season’s ending to include a better finish.
– Raquel Alegria
25. Rice Torque
2024 Finish: N/A in Power Rankings, N/A at Nationals, 12-7 record
Rice has long languished in the middle of the South Central, but last year managed to grab two wins early in the season against Trinity. If Torque can make some magic happen in the regular season, they could secure a second bid for the South Central and carve a path to Nationals. Otherwise, they’ll have to find a way to beat both Trinity and Colorado College for a chance to play on the biggest stage.
– Zack Davis
D-III Men’s
16. Davidson DUFF
2024 Finish: #15 in Power Rankings, N/A at Nationals, 20-11 record
Davidson had a very inconsistent year in 2024, but peaked at the right time. They came as close as possible to a Nationals berth, dropping the regional final to Richmond on universe point. With a timely gust of wind or some luck at the bid bubble, a return to Nationals for the first time since 2017 is a realistic goal for DUFF in 2025.
– Josh Katz
17. Oberlin Flying Horsecows
2024 Finish: #17 in Power Rankings, 14th at Nationals, 13-15 record
After a disappointing regular season, the Horsecows made a huge run at regionals to secure the Ohio Valley’s second bid to Nationals, and played respectably. Senior center handler Ben Fuguet is one of the smoothest throwers in D-III, and his talent should at least keep Oberlin in the conversation to return to the big stage.
– Graham Gordon
18. Colorado College Wasabi
2024 Finish: #25 in Power Rankings, N/A at Nationals, 14-14 record
After winning Nationals in 2023, the younger Colorado College missed the show completely last year. However, with another year under their belt, and Oliver van Linder at the helm, don’t be surprised if Wasabi make it back in 2025.
– Calvin Ciorba
19. Claremont Braineaters
2024 Finish: #18 in Power Rankings, 15th at Nationals, 15-14 record
The Braineaters have the blessing of playing in the Southwest—they only have to beat two other teams to qualify for Nationals, which they have done two out of the past three years. They weren’t super competitive in pool play last year, but it wouldn’t take much improvement for them to make the bracket in 2025 if they can get to Nationals.
– Graham Gordon
20. Missouri S&T Miner Threat
2024 Finish: #21 in Power Rankings, 16th at Nationals, 16-21 record
Miner Threat took advantage of a perhaps weaker-than-expected South Central and some timely upsets at Regionals to qualify for Nationals last year, but went winless in Milwaukee. In a rejuvenated region this year, they’ll need to find more consistency to get back to Nationals for a third consecutive season.
– Josh Katz
21. Wesleyan Nietszch Factor
2024 Finish: N/A in Power Rankings, N/A at Nationals, 15-8 record
A team that will be exciting to watch this year, Wesleyan is headlined by Bryan Jones’ second year in the college division. With one bid almost certain for the Metro East, Nietszch Factor will have to peak at the right time.
– Calvin Ciorba
22. Cedarville Swarm
2024 Finish: #19 in Power Rankings, N/A at Nationals, 15-7 record
Buoyed by a suffocating zone defense, Cedarville hasshown the ability to hang with Nationals-caliber teams in the last couple seasons, even earning a strength bid last year that they were unable to defend. With some more consistency and a bit of luck, a Nationals bid (which would be their first in over a decade) could absolutely be on the cards for Swarm in 2025.
– Josh Katz
23. Michigan Tech DiscoTech
2024 Finish: #24 in Power Rankings, N/A at Nationals, 14-10 record
DiscoTech are losing the Donajkowski twins, Clay and Colin, who have driven so much of their program’s strength over the last couple of seasons. However, they still have a huge stable of tall, athletic cutters and a program-wide penchant for strong defensive effort that should allow them to stay competitive with the top three teams in the North Central in 2025.
– Graham Gordon
24. Colorado Mines Entropy
2024 Finish: N/A in Power Rankings, N/A at Nationals, 21-6 record
Entropy parlayed a weaker schedule into a strength bid last year, one they were unable to defend at regionals. Despite graduating nearly a dozen from that roster, they’re still confident in their chances at returning to Nationals in 2025, thanks in large part to a pair of rookies with YCC experience: Charlie Keigwin and Iago Ansede.
– Josh Katz
25. Bowdoin Clown
2024 Finish:#23 in Power Rankings, N/A at Nationals, 17-8 record
After a good, but not great 2024, Bowdoin is in a similar position this spring. Earning a bid may be a steep challenge, but stealing a bid is in the cards with a deep New England region.
– Calvin Ciorba
