Get ready for the club season! We're eyeing the ascendancy of Riot and BENT, and how perennial semifinalists Molly Brown, Brute Squad, Fury, and Scandal will handle this season's double peak.
July 10, 2026 by Rhea Patney, Zack Davis, Edward Stephens and Graham Gerhart in Preview
Ultiworld’s coverage of the 2026 club ultimate season 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.
Just before Pro-Elite Challenge West, the first stop on the Triple Crown Tour and first big event of the 2026 club season, we’ve got you covered on all the major storylines, players to watch, and reporter hot takes in the Club Mixed Division.
Club Division 2026 Primers: Men’s | Mixed | Women’s
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Major Storylines
How Will Top Teams Handle the Dreaded Double-Peak?
This is a WUCC year, which means that Boston Brute Squad, San Francisco Fury, and DC Scandal are all headed to Limerick in August. Much as they were last year, these three teams are the favorites to win the division in 2026, but the additional tournament will ask a lot more from these teams than what they faced in 2025.
Since WUCC is the earlier tournament, these teams will have to prioritize Worlds, which means trying to prepare their bodies and minds to tackle all of the challenges that come with an international tournament against the best teams across the globe. Less than a month later, USAU’s postseason begins, and they’ll have to try to climb the mountaintop again.
We’ve seen the toll this has taken on teams in the past. It’s rare for a team to win Worlds and Nationals in the same year specifically because of how much it asks of the players. Injuries, fatigue, and additional travel costs all take a toll.
The silver lining for these teams is that there’s a lot of institutional knowledge about how to prepare for this daunting task. No teams are better equipped to double-peak than Boston, San Francisco, and DC. No matter the outcome of WUCC, does anyone really want to bet against seeing one of these teams hoist the trophy at the end of the USAU season? Common wisdom says no.
How Much Rebuilding is Too Much?
While the top teams in the division have been consolidating power, it has come at the cost of many other elite teams. Between Fury and Scandal, Raleigh Phoenix have seen their 2025 roster almost entirely gutted, and they’re far from the only one. Pittsburgh Parcha and DC Grit are two other Nationals contenders that are having to retool after losing some top pieces from their roster.
All the roster transitions have made it clear that there is a lot of opportunity for upheaval in the division. It’s unclear how each team will slot into the power rankings when the dust settles. So much unpredictability is generally great for the fans, but there’s a lot on the line this year with some newer teams making a significant push for their first Nationals. While Grit, Parcha, and Phoenix should be considered ‘“elite until proven otherwise,” they can’t show any signs of weakness, as teams like Colorado Kelp, Dallas Dimes, Philadelphia Flight, and Utah Dark Sky are all eager to earn their first Nationals berth.
For the rebuilding teams, though, this is a “You Find Out What You Have” moment. Losing top talent can sometimes cause a club team to fall apart, but the alternative is generally what sets a team up for long-term success and viability. Let’s not forget the lean years of Scandal in between their finals appearances, or the moments where Riot looked to be on their last legs. These programs might not have maintained their former glory, but they still made it to Nationals and competed with the best, slowly building themselves back into the juggernauts that they are today. In instances where programs can weather the storm, they generally turn out all the more resilient for it.
Is There a Next Rung on the Ladder?
The last couple of years have seen major progress from a pair of clubs – Seattle Riot and New York BENT – who have been outside of serious contention since, respectively, 2018 and forever. Both came tantalizingly close in 2025. Riot, buoyed by a combination of shifty defensive looks, plenty of bidding, and a regional youth resurgence, clawed their way to the finals of both US Open and Pro Champs but failed to maintain that same head of steam in the bracket at Nationals. BENT likewise played up at US Open, reaching semis and giving Fury a tough game there. They stumbled at the last second in quarters at Nationals, losing on universe point to perennial final four-ists Denver Molly Brown.
Despite some disappointment at the end, those were strong seasons that deserve celebration. The question hovering over both of them heading into a new summer, then, is whether they can muster up that little bit more that will take them from very good to great. Riot’s D-line can perform at 2025 levels and continue to harvest blocks, so let’s take a glance at the offense. They were at their best when some combination of Carly Campana, Abbie Abramovich, and Nora Luloff were romping in open space, but handler play proved trickier when the downfield was clogged. There’s an argument to be made that even without significant personnel changes — though they do have those in Samiya Ismail, Kyliah Mcroy, and Karen Ehrhardt — they can track the continued development of Chloe Hakimi to carry them forward in this regard. We’ll see how it plays out when Riot play their opening set at PEC West.
BENT, meanwhile, already have a tournament’s worth of action under their belts, and they look ready for the bigtime, taking a lead on Brute Squad at PEC East before giving it up late. Either one more break before the inevitable Brute run or slightly better offensive efficiency down the stretch could have produced an upset. The solution for the offense is easy: get cutting superstar Genny De Jesus healthy again, a simple solution, if not entirely within team control. The defense may need to rely on a little sports psychology. No doubt they felt how close they were to getting the disc several times from the Boston attack. That can be highly motivating for training the final few inches worth of explosiveness. Bookmark this note, and we’ll check back in the Northeast regional final to see how well they are able to get to the disc.
Tiered Preseason Power Rankings
Tier 1 – Best of the Best
- San Francisco Fury
- Washington DC Scandal
- Boston Brute Squad
- New York BENT
- Denver Molly Brown
The four teams that won their pools at Nationals last year, plus the other semifinalist. They’ve defined the top of the women’s club game in recent seasons, with championship pedigree, depth across lines, and the ability to win in multiple styles under pressure. When they’re healthy and executing, this is still the clearest title tier.
Tier 2 – Nationals Bracket Caliber
- Seattle Riot
- San Diego Flipside
- Toronto 6ixers
- Portland Schwa
Teams that can beat anyone on a given day and, at their best, absolutely belong in semifinal conversations. Consistency is the separator between here and Tier 1.
Tier 3 – Rebuilds, Health, and Curiosity
- Quebec Iris
- Vancouver Traffic
- Pittsburgh Parcha
- Northampton Starling
- Raleigh Phoenix
- Philadelphia Flight
High-upside teams with shifting cores, injury questions, or developmental arcs. Dangerous in bursts, but still finding their full identity.
Tier 4 – On the Cusp
- Colorado Kelp
- Dallas Dimes
- San Francisco Nightlock
- Madison Heist
- Chicago Nemesis
- Minneapolis Pop
Playoff-level talent that need to earn a bid, have a breakthrough weekend, or pull a favorable regional draw to fully convert potential into Nationals presence.
Tier 5 – Chaos Factor
- Austin Vengeance
- Washington DC Grit
- Atlanta Ozone
- Knoxville Dolly for President
- Utah Dark Sky
Dangerous spoiler teams. They may not consistently win elite matchups, but they can absolutely ruin weekends and beat higher-ranked teams in the right conditions.
Post-PEC East Rankings
Bid Range Per Region
Great Lakes – Minimum: 1 / Maximum: 2
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