The first-ever Utah College Nationals.
July 16, 2026 by Charlie Eisenhood in News
For the first time, USA Ultimate is hosting a major event in Salt Lake City next year.
The Utah state capitol will play host to the 2027 College Championships, with the D-I event on May 28-31 and D-III on May 22-24.
Both events will be hosted at the Regional Athletic Complex, which played host to the 2023 High School National Invite (HSNI). The RAC is around 10 minutes from the Salt Lake City airport and has sweeping views of the Wasatch mountain range.
“We are thrilled to bring the College Championships to Salt Lake City,” said USA Ultimate CEO Kevin Erlenbach in a statement. “Utah Ultimate submitted an outstanding bid that reflects years of experience delivering first-class events, strong local partnerships and a genuine commitment to creating a welcoming experience for everyone involved. Combined with an exceptional championship venue and the support of community officials, we’re confident this will be a wonderful experience for our student-athletes and their families, fans and the broader ultimate community.”
Utah’s ultimate scene has grown substantially over the last decade, sending teams to the HSNI and winning multiple championships. Utah college and club teams have also attended College and Club Nationals in recent seasons. Utah has hosted numerous USA Ultimate Club Regionals tournaments but never a major USAU national event.
“Bringing the College Championships to Salt Lake City is a reflection of everything our community has built together and represents an incredible opportunity to showcase what Utah Ultimate is all about,” said tournament director and Utah Ultimate Disc Association President Joe Strong. “We’re excited to welcome the best college teams in the country and share our passion for ultimate, our hospitality, and our incredible community.”
The selection of Salt Lake City also marks a major shift in USAU’s policy on where to host their championship events. In 2023, they published a policy that said “USA Ultimate will not host its major national championship events in states that have current anti-transgender sports laws that restrict participation of transgender athletes to the division that matches their sex assigned at birth, rather than their gender identity.” Utah is one such state.
However, USAU changed the policy in 2025 to a more holistic process for evaluating potential host locations. Along with considering bids across a variety of categories, “all bids will be evaluated with respect to safety and inclusivity by USA Ultimate leadership and competition staff with feedback from external or ad hoc groups as needed to ensure that diverse perspectives and experiences are being factored into the decision-making process.”
This is the first time USAU has hosted a major Championship event in a location that doesn’t adhere to its previously much stricter policy.
