REGULAR SEASON

SUPER-REGIONAL PLAN

CONFERENCE PLAN

To provide opportunities to play for teams at all levels.

Provides opportunities for and differentiates between teams that want to have an organized regular season (Tier 1) and those that don’t (Tier 2).

Provides opportunities for and differentiates between high-level (Tier 1) and mid-level (Tier 2) teams that want to have an organized regular season and those that don’t (Tier 3).

To create meaningful games occurring throughout the spring season

Tier 1 teams will have their games at UPA-sanctioned events taken into consideration for selection committee picks to advance directly to Super-Regionals.

Tier 2 teams do not have any direct impact from their regular season games.

Tier 1 and 2 regular season results determine nationals bid allocations to each region.

Tier 2 regular season results determine which teams join Tier 1 teams at Division I Regionals and which attend Division II Regionals.

Tier 3 teams do not have any direct impact from their regular season games.

1. To improve ability for teams to plan their season (advance notice and flexibility based on commitment level of team)

Regular season schedule of affiliated events known in December/January helps teams plan and determine their commitment level.

Regular season schedule of affiliated events known in December/January helps teams plan and determine their commitment level.

2. To encourage growth and participation

Expanding competitive offerings to regular season and into multiple divisions in the post-season creates more opportunities for participation by new and existing teams.

Expanding competitive offerings to regular season and into multiple divisions in the post-season creates more opportunities for participation by new and existing teams.

3. To improve ability to promote the sport

Enhanced meaning for regular season creates more opportunities to promote teams and follow season.

Enhanced meaning for regular season creates more opportunities to promote teams and follow season.

4. To improve planning for regular season events (events themselves).

Need to sanction more regular season events with UPA will initiate earlier planning by local organizers.

UPA sanctioned events will have specific guidelines and requirements in place.

Need to sanction more regular season events with UPA will initiate earlier planning by local organizers.

UPA sanctioned events will have specific guidelines and requirements in place.

POST SEASON

SUPER-REGIONAL PLAN

CONFERENCE PLAN

To crown a clear, unambiguous national champion through direct competition

Structure set up to ensure top teams have a legitimate shot at qualifying for Division I Nationals, where the champion is determined on the field.

Structure set up to ensure top teams have a legitimate shot at qualifying for Division I Nationals, where the champion is determined on the field.

To qualify the top teams in championship event including allowing the top regional team in each division

The selection committee ensures that the top teams in the country from the regular season have a good shot at qualifying for Division I Nationals. 

Additionally, with sectional winners represented at each Super-Regional, there will be a very high likelihood of qualification for Division I Nationals by a representative from each region (although not guaranteed).

A minimum of 2 teams per region will be represented at Division II and III Nationals.

The rankings-based strength algorithm process ensures that bids to national events are allocated to regions with the strongest teams, giving the top teams in the country from the regular season a good shot at qualifying for Division I Nationals. 

A minimum of 2 teams per region will be represented at Division I Nationals.

A minimum of 1 team per region will be represented at Division II and III Nationals.

(A region is guaranteed at least as many bids to nationals (all levels combined) as it has conferences.)

1. To allow all teams to compete for a National Championship in a specific Division (series) so that any newly formed team can compete for the title in whatever division they choose.

Nationals will be held at the Division I, II, and III levels. Any newly formed team will have the opportunity to compete towards at least Division I and II Nationals.

Teams meeting certain requirements will have access to the Division III qualification structure.

Any team, including newly formed teams, can compete in the post-season, but their conference’s bid allocation is out of their control if they do not participate in the regular season.

While conferences are not guaranteed a bid to Division I Nationals, every conference is guaranteed a bid to one of the three national events (Division I, II, or III).

2. To provide competitive focus for the season for all teams, via a metric comparable across years for each team.

Finishes at Sectionals, Regionals, Super-Regionals, and Nationals at the different levels (Division I, II, III) provides a consistent metric.

Rankings will be used throughout the regular and post-season as a metric for comparison.

Finishes at the Conference Championships and national events, as well as final rankings and qualification for Division I and II Regionals provide metrics for comparing teams.

Qualification for Tier 1 regular season also provides a metric for comparison.

3. To present a showcase event of the sport to the media.

Super-Regional events focused specifically on fewer and higher quality teams.

The national events will also retain a manageable size for media coverage while having increased participation by offering events at 3 levels.

Conference events focused specifically on smaller size and teams competing at same level.

The Division I and III national events will also retain a manageable size for media coverage while having increased participation by offering various levels.

4. To allow as many teams as logistically possible to compete for a National Championship in a specific Division (weekend event).

Three national event competitions held, increasing number of teams at national events from 20 (current) to 52 (20+16+16) for Open and 36 (20+16) for Women.

Three national event competitions held, increasing number of teams at national events from 20 (current) to 116 (20+64+32) for Open and 84 (20+64) for Women. (Logistics may be an issue for Division II (64 team) event.)

TIERED/DIVISIONAL STRUCTURE

SUPER-REGIONAL PLAN

CONFERENCE PLAN

To allow teams to have increased playing opportunities against teams at their level in post-season play

Division I and II structures at the regional level allow teams to play in the post-season at various levels (including enhanced quality of Super-Regionals).

Division III structure allows certain teams to play at national event.

Division I and II structures at the regional level allow teams to play in the post-season at various levels.

Division III structure allows certain teams to play at national event.

Conference structure built in large part around ensuring comparable levels of play at the Conference Championships.

To allow teams from similarly-sized institutions to compete for a National Championship, with the ability to move up.

Division III is restricted to teams from small institutions (and those below certain competition levels). 

Any Division III eligible team can choose to compete at the Division I or II level as well.

Division III is restricted to teams from small institutions. 

Any Division III eligible team can choose to compete at the Division I or II level as well.

1. To allow teams to have increased playing opportunities against teams at their level in a regular season

Provides opportunities for and differentiates between teams that want to have an organized regular season (Tier 1) and those that don’t (Tier 2).

Provides opportunities for and differentiates between high-level (Tier 1) and mid-level (Tier 2) teams that want to have an organized regular season and those that don’t (Tier 3).

2. To provide additional playing opportunities for teams eliminated from Championship series

Number of post-season events increased at the sectional, regional, and national levels for Division III, meaning fewer teams eliminated overall.

Division II regional structure provides opportunity for teams eliminated at Division I Sectionals to continue playing.

Number of post-season events increased at the national level for Division II and Division III levels, meaning fewer teams eliminated overall.

Nature of regional events as bid allocation events, rather than elimination, provides more post-season playing opportunities.

GEOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE

SUPER-REGIONAL PLAN

CONFERENCE PLAN

To provide playing opportunities which reduce/minimize travel time and expenses for teams

Regular season events will be held throughout the country, and teams will be able to schedule their own season, provided the meet minimum participation requirements.

Sectionals will be geographically based, although the number of sections will be reduced from current numbers (24 from ~29), meaning larger sections on average.

Division II and III Regionals will be based on geography similar to the current 8 regions. 

Super-Regionals are geographically based, but will on average require more travel for the teams involved (although half of those teams will have been able to skip sectionals).

Regular season events will be held throughout the country, and teams will largely be able to schedule their own season, provided they meet minimum participation requirements.

The Conference structure is based in large part on the willingness/ability of teams to travel. Conference championships provide an appropriate competitive level of play at the right time of year for northern schools.

Fewer regions (6 down from 8) will mean larger regions and more travel on average for teams playing at regional events.

To ensure geographic representation at the championship event

With sectional winners represented at each Super-Regional, there will be a very high likelihood of qualification for Division I Nationals by a representative from each region (although not guaranteed).

A minimum of 2 teams per region will be represented at Division II and III Nationals.

A minimum of 2 teams per region will be represented at Division I Nationals.

A minimum of 1 team per region will be represented at Division II and III Nationals.

(A region is guaranteed at least as many bids to nationals (all levels combined) as it has conferences.)

1. To provide a framework for organization of geographically-based regular season play

Framework for regular season play is loose. However, at least one UPA sanctioned Tier 1 regular season event will be held in each Super-Region. 

Framework for regular season play is somewhat loose.  However, at least one UPA sanctioned Tier 1 regular season event will be held in each region.

ELIGIBILITY

SUPER-REGIONAL PLAN

CONFERENCE PLAN

To ensure that all games that have significant (any game that affects more than just seeding) impact on the final standing of a team are played with eligible players

UPA-sanctioned events that could affect Tier 1 teams’ chances of being selected to go to Super-Regionals are all played under the UPA eligibility rules.

All post-season play will be governed by the UPA eligibility rules.

UPA-sanctioned events where results are factored into rankings for bid allocation and post-season qualification are all played under the UPA eligibility rules.

All post-season play will be governed by the UPA eligibility rules.

1. To ensure that all games that have any direct impact on the final standing of a team are played with eligible players

See above.

However, teams that register for the post-season that did not participate in the official regular season, but did participate in an unofficial regular season, may have their unofficial results factored into seeding for post-season events.

See above.

However, teams that register for the post-season that did not participate in the official regular season, but did participate in an unofficial regular season, may have their unofficial results factored into seeding for post-season events.

OFFICIATING

SUPER-REGIONAL PLAN

CONFERENCE PLAN

To bring the benefits of observing, including potential enhancements, to more of the college post-season

Smaller and fewer Super-Regional events with fewer overall games means a higher percentage of games can be staffed by observers. 

The ongoing expansion of the UPA Observer Program will focus on providing observers to UPA post-season events.

Smaller Conference events with fewer overall games means a higher percentage of games at select Conference Championships can be staffed by observers.

The ongoing expansion of the UPA Observer Program will focus on providing observers to UPA post-season events.

1. To bring the benefits of observing, including potential enhancements, to more of the college regular season

The ongoing expansion of the UPA Observer Program will focus on providing observers to UPA affiliated regular season events.

The ongoing expansion of the UPA Observer Program will focus on providing observers to UPA affiliated regular season events.

2. To provide consistent standards of officiating through the series (i.e. teams should know in advance when and whether to expect to play with observers, what role observers will be expected to play, etc)

The ongoing expansion and improvement of the UPA Observer Program will focus on providing observers to UPA post-season events in a consistent fashion that is communicated to teams and event organizers ahead of time.

The ongoing expansion and improvement of the UPA Observer Program will focus on providing observers to UPA post-season events in a consistent fashion that is communicated to teams and event organizers ahead of time.

INDIVIDUAL EVENT STRUCTURE

SUPER-REGIONAL PLAN

CONFERENCE PLAN

To increase quality of events for participants (including competition) at a good value ($$, time, travel)

Need to sanction more regular season events with UPA will initiate earlier planning by local organizers.

UPA sanctioned regular season and post-season events will have specific guidelines and requirements in place.

Need to sanction more regular season events with UPA will initiate earlier planning by local organizers.

UPA sanctioned regular season and post-season events will have specific guidelines and requirements in place.

1. To provide fundraising opportunities (e.g. for travel $) for teams that host tournaments.

Prior to the regular season, teams (as well as other event organizers) can bid to host UPA sanctioned regular season and post-season events.

Prior to the regular season, teams (as well as other event organizers) can bid to host UPA sanctioned regular season and post-season events.

2. To provide increased opportunities to promote the sport

Enhanced meaning for regular season creates more opportunities to promote teams and follow season.

Super-Regional events focused specifically on smaller size and high quality teams.

The national events will also retain a manageable size for media coverage while having increased participation by offering events at 3 levels.

Enhanced meaning for regular season creates more opportunities to promote teams and follow season.

Conference events focused specifically on smaller size and teams competing at same level.

The Division I and III national events will also retain a manageable size for media coverage while having increased participation by offering various levels.

3. To maintain the "community feel" of Ultimate events

Most tournaments run during the regular and post-seasons will still be organized by groups in the community.

Open and Women’s structures mirror each other, except at the Division III level (where the number of women’s teams may not currently support both a Division II and III structure).

Most tournaments run during the regular and post-seasons will still be organized by groups in the community.

Open and Women’s structures mirror each other at regional and national levels (except at Division III where the number of women’s teams may not currently support both a Division II and III structure).

Open and Women’s conferences will likely be pretty different, which may result in fewer conference events with both divisions.

4. To maximize the trade-off for teams/players between valuable lessons in organization/fund raising/management/leadership and burden in terms of time and money

The UPA will provide guidelines and a framework for running tournaments and for encouraging teams to attend UPA-sanctioned events.  Teams still have the freedom to choose options for themselves.

The UPA will provide guidelines and a framework for running tournaments and for encouraging teams to attend UPA-sanctioned events.  Teams still have the freedom to choose options for themselves.

TIMING OF IMPLEMENTATION

SUPER-REGIONAL PLAN

CONFERENCE PLAN

To ensure that necessary changes happen quickly but in a well thought-out manner, with differentiation between elements that can be developed/implemented quickly and those that need more time

Changes made for 2009 can be reviewed here (link). Some are consistent with changes proposed in the Super-Regional Plan.

Changes for 2010 and beyond under this plan will require further analysis. Implementation challenges include but are not limited to the redrawing of geographic boundaries, revision of eligibility rules, development of selection committee procedures, development of event bidding and site selection procedures and decision-making for increased regular season and post-season events, new structure and management procedures for increased oversight by UPA personnel/volunteers/partners, and incorporation into UPA IT systems.

Changes made for 2009 can be reviewed here (link). Some are consistent with changes proposed in the Conference Plan.

Changes for 2010 and beyond under this plan will require further analysis. Implementation challenges include but are not limited to the distribution of teams into conferences, redrawing of geographic boundaries, revision of eligibility rules, development of rankings and bid allocation strength algorithms and procedures, development of event bidding and site selection procedures and decision-making for increased regular season and post-season events, new structure and management procedures for increased oversight by UPA personnel/volunteers/partners, and incorporation into UPA IT systems.