Who to root for if you don’t know who to root for
May 20, 2026 by Alex Rubin and Aidan Thomas in Opinion, Preview
Ultiworld’s coverage of the 2026 College Championships is presented by Spin Ultimate; all opinions are those of the author(s). Find out how Spin can get you, and your team, looking your best this season.
For many fans, deciding who to root for at the D-I College Championships is easy. Often, it can be as simple as rooting for one of your friends, or a family member, or your alma mater. But for others, picking a team can be challenging. Maybe you lost in the game-to-go at regionals, and cheering on the team that crushed your dreams is too painful. Or maybe you only watch one division and you need a quick catch-up on the other. Or you were walking through the park and saw a group of people chasing a disc, and thought it looked cool. Whatever the reason, you need help deciding on your new favorite team, and that’s where we can help.
Women’s Division
20. Toronto Torontula
Why you should root for them: It is always fun to root for a first time Nationals team, and there are a few U20 and U24 players on this sparse roster of just 14 players.
Why you shouldn’t: Toronto did not play the regular season and instead waltzed through Conferences and Regionals, stealing the bids of the hardworking American teams who earned them. There is nothing wrong with Canadian teams playing in the US Series, but there is a right way to do it. UBC women’s and McGill men’s both played all season and contributed to their regions’ rankings before clinching their spot at Nationals. Toronto’s path to get here can be construed as unethical and difficult to root for.
Verdict: This team is a total unknown and will be fun to watch, but we cannot recommend rooting for them.
19. North Carolina Pleiades
Why you should root for them: Pleiades, as always, have some fun players to watch. If you enjoy great handlers, Bella Russell is one of the best in the division, and if you want to watch a scrappy defender, Megan Buchsbaum fits the bill. On both sides of the disc, UNC has fun athletes to watch.
Why you shouldn’t: Don’t get it confused – UNC may be a 7-seed but they’re not exactly a scrappy underdog story. Pleiades are a year removed from their four-year reign of terror over the division; you’re basically just hopping to the tail-end of a dynasty bandwagon.
Verdict: If you want to focus on 2026 storylines only and pick the lowest-ranked team that still has a distant shot at winning a title, UNC Pleiades are your squad…but people may mock you for jumping on the bandwagon two years after they won four straight titles.
18. UCLA BLU
Why you should root for them: This team went through a gauntlet in the Southwest Series and will be as prepared as any come Nationals.
Why you shouldn’t: With so much talent coming out of the Southwest, regional fans might have trouble choosing which team to root for. If you like an upstart bid stealer, you might be better served by Cal Poly SLO, who stole UC Davis’ bid to get here.
Verdict: Hollywood stars aside, if you want a team that has already made it through a tough tournament and knows they have what it takes, UCLA is the team for you.
17. Stanford Superfly
Why you should root for them: Superfly have stars both at the handler position (Esther Filipek and Harper Baer) and in the cutting space (Sage McGinley-Smith), and they’ve made an art of zone defenses, if you’re in to that sort of thing.
Why you shouldn’t: Do you really want to be the person relishing in a 9-8 windfest of a game at Nationals where the highlight is great zone defense, when you want the individual stars to shine brightest?
Verdict: If you’re a big fan of wind-driven, low-scoring ultimate, watch Stanford seven days a week and twice on Sunday. Otherwise, probably stay away.
16. Michigan Flywheel
Why you should root for them: Calliope Cutchins is a champ and can will her team to victories at times. Supported by a fundamentally sound team, Cutchins and Michigan will have a plan to beat every kind of defense they come across.
Why you shouldn’t: Michigan is the keepers of the Great Lakes, continually turning away fan favorite Notre Dame from their chance at the big dance.
Verdict: If you want to watch a do-it-all star shine, Michigan is the team for you.
15. California-San Diego Dragon Coalition
Why you should root for them: If you want to cry out against the USAU seeding process, UCSD was among the most slighted teams, dropping from their ranking of 13th (which would have netted them a favorable Pool A Draw) to 15th and into an absolutely loaded Pool C where even the fifth seed (Toronto) is a pretty wild unknown.
Why you shouldn’t: In a pool featuring three of the top 11 players in our top 25 players of 2026, UCSD’s roster doesn’t feature the same high-level starpower and is a bit more of a faceless army.
Verdict: If you’re in the mood for a bit of an underdog story and hoping for an emergent breakout star, then hop on the Dragon Coalition train.
14. Colorado Quandary
Why you should root for them: Quandary have the history and presence to do well no matter who is on the field. This is a proud program that knows how to show up in the biggest moments.
Why you shouldn’t: This version of the team lacks the star power of yesteryear and was not as dominant as in years past.
Verdict: If you’re looking for a team that could punch above its seed, Colorado is the team for you.
13. Washington Element
Why you should root for them: When they’re on, this team is FUN to watch with a terrifying defense and a stable of elite cutters that feeds into their potent deep attack.
Why you shouldn’t: When this team is off, it gets messy in a hurry, and Washington is most off against zone and poachy sets, which they’re sure to see plenty of in windy Rockford.
Verdict: If you want highlight plays with a splash of title contention, pull out an Element jersey and get ready to cheer.
12. Victoria Vikes
Why you should root for them: A team with bracket aspirations but without a player in our Top 25, Victoria is the ultimate “more than the sum of their parts” team.
Why you shouldn’t: Victoria is in a tough pool and will run into difficulty accomplishing those bracket aspirations.
Verdict: If you like island life and teams who play well together without a superstar, Victoria is the team for you.
11. Vermont Ruckus
Why you should root for them: Combine the emotional factor of a team that had to overcome an array of injuries, including the season-ender to Caroline Stone, and the exciting star junior trio in Annie Pozzy, Tatum Cubrilovic and Ella Monaghan, and you’ve got a fun 16th-seed.
Why you shouldn’t: Having made semis in the past three seasons, Vermont isn’t exactly a traditionally plucky underdog story to root for out of the 16th-seed.
Verdict: If you’re looking for a true longshot, Vermont may have the highest ceiling of any team in the back half of the bracket and could be the team for you.
10. Georgia Athena
Why you should root for them: Quincy Booth is the truth and puts on a show every time she takes the field. Getting to see her throwing prowess is worth the price of admission alone.
Why you shouldn’t: The depth on this team is thin and in a very demanding tournament like Nationals, it will be harder for Athena to compete with the best teams.
Verdict: Booth will be near the top of the assist leaderboard, and it will be fun to root for her continued success as part of a team that is consistently exciting to watch. If you like counting statistics, Athena are the team for you.
9. Western Washington Chaos
Why you should root for them: Chaos lost their bid in the game-to-go at regionals last year, and now get their chance to crash the bracket — and beyond — at Nationals.
Why you shouldn’t: Their pool is not a friendly draw, with defending champs UBC and dynastic UNC squad ahead of them, and 2025 bracket qualifiers Cal Poly SLO and Michigan lurking behind.
Verdict: If you’re feeling like a pioneer and want to be one of the first on the bandwagon for a team that wasn’t at Nationals last year with the potential to make some noise, Western Washington is your team.
8. British Columbia Thunderbirds
Why you should root for them: The defending champions are pushing for a repeat. With several Top 25 players on the roster, led by Canadian World Games star Mika Kurahashi, UBC’s bandwagon is headed towards the late bracket games.
Why you shouldn’t: It is really hard to repeat as champions, and you could be setting yourself up for heartbreaking disappointment.
Verdict: If you’re from Western Canada or want to see the next dynasty begin, UBC would be a good team to root for.
7. Cal Poly SLO SLOMotion
Why you should root for them: SLO features some breakout young talent to watch in ZsaZa Gelfand and Nora Snyder. They beat UNC and UBC at Nationals last year to make the bracket and have the chance to do it again.
Why you shouldn’t: You’re not really jumping on a bandwagon that has a high probability of playing past Saturday.
Verdict: If you’re looking for a multi-year bandwagon trip and want to get familiar with some young stars, SLO is your squad.
6. Oregon Fugue
Why you should root for them: Behind Trout Weybright, Syris Linkfield, Miko Magnant, and Acacia Hahn, Fugue are a high flying team that plays fun ultimate. Look for big hucks to space and athletic plays all over the field.
Why you shouldn’t: This was Oregon’s least competitive regular season in recent years. If they cannot find a way to play up to their ceiling at Nationals, they could be in for a disappointing weekend and an early exit.
Verdict: If you want to root for a team to put all of the pieces together and become the best version of themselves, Oregon is the team for you.
5. Tufts EWO
Why you should root for them: The combination of Lia Schwartz’s powerful throwing arm and Annabel White’s talent in the air makes for a thrilling combination, plus Tufts is one of the most due teams in the division, having lost in quarterfinals in three straight seasons.
Why you shouldn’t: An optimist may say they’re due, a pessimist may say they’ll just rip your heart out again.
Verdict: If you want to root for the team with arguably the biggest proverbial monkey on their back when it comes to nationals performances, Tufts EWO are your team.
4. Carleton Syzygy
Why you should root for them: After the heartbreak of losing last year’s final on double game point, Syzygy came out this year on a mission. A perfect 30-0 heading into Nationals, Carleton is not messing around on their quest to win their first title since 2000.
Why you shouldn’t: It can be boring to root for the favorite. If everything goes as expected, you will merely see greatness and not any wild upsets.
Verdict: If you’re out for revenge, Carleton is the team for you.
3. Penn Venus
Why you should root for them: Grace Maroon is one of the throwers that can punch back against whatever wind comes into play against Rockford, and Penn’s core four of Maroon, Abigail Smith, Poppy Wagner, and Sydney Neal is a very fun quartet.
Why you shouldn’t: They’re the no.9 seed in arguably the pool of death, and Penn hasn’t made quarters since 2009, and they’ve never made a semifinal, so you’re capping the ceiling of your bandwagon’s journey.
Verdict: If you want to cheer for a team slightly outside the true title contender tier but still enjoy watching one of the best players in the division, Penn is your team.
2. California-Santa Cruz Sol
Why you should root for them: All year the narrative in the division centered around last year’s title game participants: UBC and Carleton. UCSC is angling to get into that conversation, and they have the regular season results to back it up.
Why you shouldn’t: In their last two Nationals, Santa Cruz has not even made the bracket. A run to the final will be hard with that level of inexperience.
Verdict: If you want to see a historic upset in the semis or final, Sol are a team who could provide that.
1. Vermont B Bruckus
Why you should root for them: Literally every reason possible. It’s history in the making, and you don’t even need Bruckus to win to be happy. Imagine if Bruckus forced universe. Or took half. Heck, even if Bruckus delivers a break, an upwind goal, a big layout or plays a few tight points against some of the behemoths of the division, it’s a victory for the sport as a developmental team with 14 rookies emerges on the biggest stage.
Why you shouldn’t: Maybe your grinchiest of grinch hearts will be heard in a corner moping about regional bid caps. But realistically, there’s not one, single, freaking reason you should be rooting against this team.
Verdict: If you’re a good person, you’ll root for Bruckus.
Men’s Division
20. North Carolina Darkside
Why you should root for them: When you pull for Darkside at Nationals, you’re basically guaranteeing yourself a bandwagon trip to at least the quarterfinals, with an outside shot of winning it all.
Why you shouldn’t: “I’ll root for Darkside because they aren’t the favorites and didn’t win last year” sounds a lot like people outside of New England cheering for the Patriots in the most recent Super Bowl. Just because the dynasty is on pause doesn’t make it fun to root for again.
Verdict: If you’re from Chapel Hill, we suppose this is fine. Otherwise, we’d recommend a less A-Typical bandwagon selection.
19. Texas TUFF
Why you should root for them: Xavier Fuzat may have the biggest throwing bag at this tournament. Watching a whole game just for one player is very NBA, but Fuzat is worth it.
Why you shouldn’t: A typical bandwagon fan will probably want to root for a team with a chance of making it far and Texas has a pretty solid recent history of losing in pool play or prequarters.
Verdict: If you’re here to watch stars shine, Texas is a great team to watch.
18. McGill MUT
Why you should root for them: All hail the bid-stealers! Rooting for the biggest underdogs can always bring a little joy and bragging rights if it works out.
Why you shouldn’t: Unless you really want your bandwagon to end in the 17-20th place consolation games, you should probably avoid McGill.
Verdict: If you’re full of Canadian pride or stubborn underdog spirit, you can hang out with the MUT crowd.
17. Yale Superfly
Why you should root for them: This is Yale’s first appearance at Nationals since the 1900s!1 The team was competitive in regular season tournaments and shouldn’t be a pushover here.
Why you shouldn’t: It has been a while since a team from the Metro East made any serious noise in this division…also, these kids are going to Yale and are already going to be successful – it’s okay if there is one thing they aren’t cheered on for.
Verdict: If you like rooting for a bunch of first timers who could probably pull off a win in consolation, Yale is the team for you. Bonus thought: if you like revenge games, grad student Will McGlynn will face his former team, Pitt, during pool play.
16. Washington Sundodgers
Why you should root for them: If you like making fun of the pundits, go cheer for the #15 team with zero players that even made the top 100 of our player rankings and then revel in our ignorance if they make bracket.
Why you shouldn’t: Washington beat exactly one Nationals-qualifying team since January; their odds of success feel low.
Verdict: If you want to bet on the emergence of young talents like Ben Bolan, Willie Saxen and Jak Lin, root for the boys from Washington.
15. Pittsburgh En Sabah Nur
Why you should root for them: The Brotherhood is back after a year away. With a new crop of stars, Pitt has the best of both worlds as a legacy program and a newer upstart.
Why you shouldn’t: While we love parents and alumni coming to support their teams, let’s just say that the Pitt sideline has received several complaints in the past.
Verdict: If you like the New York Yankees or Dallas Cowboys, you’ll probably like Pitt, too.
14. Brown Brownian Motion
Why you should root for them: Jason Tapper is a wonderful story for the “you don’t need to have played ultimate before college” crowd, as the former newbie has emerged as a veteran star for the 2024 champions.
Why you shouldn’t: While Brown didn’t qualify for Nationals last year, they won it all the prior year, so rooting for some fresh blood is more fun.
Verdict: If you’re a fan of blue blood programs that generally play pretty fundamental and competitive ultimate, Brown is a safe bet.
13. Michigan MagnUM
Why you should root for them: Every year it seems Michigan manages to go under the radar in the regular season and breaks seed at Nationals. With Aaron Bartlett as their centerpiece, MagnUM again could find their way into a winnable bracket game.
Why you shouldn’t: In recent history Michigan has employed a line-calling method to rest their stars in some games (usually games against the top team in the pool that they deem unwinnable) and go all out in others (against fellow pool bottomfeeders). Some might applaud the strategic deployment of resources while others may consider such load management unethical.
Verdict: If you want to see a player take over a game, Michigan is the team for you…in most of their games.
12. Maryland Space Bastards
Why you should root for them: For all the head taps and jaw dropping you’ll get to do when Miles Grovic does something mildly gravity-defying and positively ridiculous (probably more than once).
Why you shouldn’t: If you don’t like bid stealers because it reduces the number of truly competitive teams at Nationals, you’re probably annoyed at Maryland for knocking off Christian Belus and UNC Wilmington.
Verdict: If you’re here for the highlights, and not necessarily the results, Maryland (and Grovic) is your team.
11. Oregon State Beavers
Why you should root for them: The Beavers are very fun to watch. They hit hucks at a high rate and have the skill to go toe-to-toe with the best teams in the division.
Why you shouldn’t: For all of the regular season success the team has had, they have not gotten out of pool play at Nationals in their two most recent tries.
Verdict: If you like deep shots and posterizing skies, Oregon State is the team for you.
10. Cal Poly SLO SLOCORE
Why you should root for them: Anton Orme is, when at his best, maybe the best player in the country, with some of the best throws in the game, and he’ll give absolutely everything for this SLOCORE side that is always full of energy.
Why you shouldn’t: SLO has been quite volatile this season, and doesn’t seem to have the depth for a deep run, so this could be setting yourself up for heartbreak.
Verdict: If you want to root for one of the most electric players in college ultimate try to will his underdog team further than they are expected to go, SLO is a great team to pick.
9. Carleton CUT
Why you should root for them: After half a decade of missing the bracket, CUT pulled everything together last spring and took home a title. They bring back most major contributors from that team and could become the heir to UNC’s divisional dynasty.
Why you shouldn’t: I mean do you really want to root for the defending champions?
Verdict: If you’re looking for a team who is close to a lock to be in the late stages of the bracket, CUT are a good bet (though, we did say that in 2019 and 2021 and 2024…)
8. Utah Zion Curtain
Why you should root for them: Will Selfridge’s throws, Will Selfridge’s cuts. Will Selfridge’s defense. Will Selfridge.
Why you shouldn’t: Ever get annoyed at regular season sandbaggers? Utah is developing that reputation, content to plod through the regular season and let the other Northwest teams do the dirty bid-earning work.
Verdict: If you’d like to root for one of the game’s biggest stars as he tries to bring his team from a stolen bid to bracket play once more, Utah is your squad.
7. Penn State Spank!
Why you should root for them: If it weren’t for the breakthrough presence of Georgia Tech, Penn State would clearly be the “people’s team” next weekend. A returning quarterfinalist without a player who could crack our Top 25, Penn State is a hardworking group of players who should only continue to improve.
Why you shouldn’t: The team is relying on rookies Becker Joseph and Nolan McClintic in key throwing roles – it’s possible that this is one year too early to go all in on Penn State.
Verdict: With young players in key positions, Penn State is still an ascending team. If you want to see the team of the future, Penn State is the team for you.
6. Western Washington DiRT
Why you should root for them: Eli Diamond is must-see by himself, and Cedar Hines and Zoli Ishikawa-Szabo make up a very fun trio to watch.
Why you shouldn’t: You may be a year late to be jumping on this bandwagon. After going from the 18th seed to quarterfinals last year, Western Washington is seeking a similar path this year in a more difficult pool. That means at best, they match last year, and at worst, they are out in pool play and fall well short of where bandwagon fans would want to be.
Verdict: If you’re just looking for a piece of Pool D, featuring four teams with quarterfinal potential or beyond, Western Washington is the biggest underdog to cheer for.
5. Georgia Tech Tribe
Why you should root for them: Tribe have been building to this moment for years. Their first Nationals appearance since 2012 is brought to you by the Grossberg brothers, Adam and Sam. Now in their second year playing college ball together, the two stars are going to carry Georgia Tech as far as they can go. If their College Nationals debut is anything like their Club Nationals debut with Pacmen last fall, they are sure to delight fans and have the potential for a bracket-busting upset.
Why you shouldn’t: Top-heavy teams can struggle at Nationals, and most of this team has never been in this kind of spotlight environment before. There’s a chance they won’t live up to the moment.
Verdict: Pools A and D cross over in the prequarterfinal round. If the pool play results hold, we could end up with Georgia Tech-UMass as a proxy for the Pacmen-DiG upset from the club season. If you’re hoping for a tournament changing upset, Georgia Tech is the team for you.
4. Oregon Ego
Why you should root for them: Mica Glass put the college ultimate world on notice as a freshman in 2023, and since then, it’s been a gradual climb towards the top for Ego. Glass’ senior year would be a smart time to jump on the bandwagon.
Why you shouldn’t: They’re the no.1 seed (don’t get a lot of people started on that one). That’s so typical of a bandwagon.
Verdict: If you’re looking for a team with a strong chance a title that isn’t a recent champion, Oregon is one of your best options.
3. California-Santa Cruz Slugs
Why you should root for them: The hippies in California are good at frisbee again! Whether they’re wearing silly slug hats or cheering their hearts out on the sideline, you’ll feel good rooting for the Slugs.
Why you shouldn’t: This version of the team has yet to make it out of pool play in their two Nationals appearances in the last three years. Though ranked highly, they have a history of being upset.
Verdict: Strap on your slug hat and get ready to watch Toby Warren sling hammers into the Rockford wind. If you want to root for a team on the cusp about to break through, the Slugs are the team for you.
2. Colorado Mamabird
Why you should root for them: Tobias Brooks, Zeke Thoreson, and Eliot Hawkins are the most electric trio in college ultimate, bar none. Also, if you just want to say Zeke Thoreson’s Callahan video is how you ended up on this bandwagon, we’d also consider that a legitimate reason.
Why you shouldn’t: Picking the one-loss team that dominated the regular season is a bit of a mockable bandwagon decision.
Verdict: Similar to Ego, if you’re looking for high-level ultimate, some of the best stars in the game, and a team that has been knocking on the door, Mamabird are your squad.
1. Massachusetts Zoodisc
Why you should root for them: The vibes on the UMass sideline are perpetually great. The team plays to have fun and it shows. If you want an individual player to root for, Jonah Stang-Osborne is poised for a stellar tournament.
Why you shouldn’t: This team has been incredibly talented for years and has yet to break through with a title. They enter Nationals as the fifth seed and looked a clear step below the top tier during the regular season.
Verdict: Though underseeded compared to previous years, UMass looks like they’re healthy and firing on all cylinders. They could put it all together at Nationals and have a run for the ages after a disappointing regular season.
OK, it was 1999 but for a school like Yale we have to make things sound a little more historic and grandiose ↩
