Ultiworld’s coverage of the 2025 college 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.

For many fans, deciding who to root for at the D-III 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’re a D-I only fan, wanting to experience the People’s Division for the first time. 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 I come in.

16. Davenport Panthers

Why you shouldn’t : That whole “heaviest favorite of all time” thing. Sure, you’ll probably be happy come Monday evening, but all your friends will mock you for being a front-runner.

Verdict : Jumping onto the Davenport bandwagon is about the equivalent of becoming a Golden State Warriors fan right after they signed Kevin Durant. You can do better.

15. Oklahoma Christian Eagles

Why you should root for them : OC’s regular season wasn’t the greatest, which dropped them down to the sixth seed. If you squint, you can make the case for them being an underdog, and everyone loves an underdog.

Why you shouldn’t : The “underdog” idea goes out the window when you remember OC’s history. They leapt onto the D-III scene after the pandemic and won back-to-back titles as the first program to offer scholarships for ultimate.

Verdict : Those titles left a bad taste in the mouths of many D-III diehards, though missing Nationals entirely in 2023 and only making semis last year has softened some of the feelings towards OC. In the end, they’re still a scholarship program, so you’re not exactly going out on a limb by rooting for them.

14. Hillsdale Chargers

Why you should root for them : Hillsdale was the longest of long shots to even get to Nationals in the preseason, and only made it here after some algorithmic shenanigans from Asbury got the Great Lakes a second bid for the first time in nearly a decade. They’re also making their Nationals debut, the only team in the field to do so this year.

Why you shouldn’t : Even though they ultimately were not disqualified for it, the whole “intentionally throwing Callahans and not playing defense to throw their pool play game against Davenport at Regionals” controversy hurts Hillsdale’s likability.

Verdict : Part of the bandwagon process is picking a team that has a reasonable shot at winning bracket games. As one of the biggest underdogs in the history of this tournament, Hillsdale probably aren’t making it out of pool play.

13. Claremont Braineaters

Why you shouldn’t : As part of the smallest region in D-III, Claremont had by far the easiest path to Nationals, needing to play and win just two games at ConfRegionals. We don’t hold that against them here at Ultiworld, but can understand if that knocks a couple points off their bandwagon ranking.

Verdict : Another factor hurting Claremont’s ranking here is the fact that they’re one of just six teams in the field to ever win D-III Nationals. Yes, it was all the way back in 2011, but that fact, combined with their status as a bottom seed, means there are better bandwagon choices.

12. Missouri S&T Miner Threat

Why you should root for them : Missouri S&T is a fun mix of the longtime favorite and plucky underdog – this is their seventh trip to D-III Nationals, most in their region, but they’ve only ever made semis once, and that was back in 2011. Plus, between Sam Papin and Wesley Fransen, you’ll get to root for two very fun players to watch.

Why you shouldn’t : If you don’t like bid thieves, Miner Threat are not the team for you. They’ve stolen a second bid at Regionals that they didn’t earn in the regular season in each of the last two years.

Verdict : Like a few others in this range, Missouri S&T’s bandwagon candidacy is hurt by the fact that they’re probably not going very far in the tournament. Though if you like rooting for a massive underdog, Miner Threat are as good a bet as any.

11. Middlebury Pranksters

Why you should root for them : Middlebury is a great vibes team; the sideline energy is always high, they sing and dance at halftime and during timeouts, and they don’t have a coach.

Why you shouldn’t : Middlebury is one of the most storied programs in D-III history, with the longest active Nationals streak (seven years) and just one of three teams to win Nationals multiple times. Part of the joy of rooting for a vibes team is that they’re usually an underdog, and the Pranksters are hardly that.

Verdict : Alongside Davenport and OC, Middlebury was one of the three consensus preseason semis picks . The fact that they’re the only one that doesn’t offer scholarships boosts their ranking somewhat, but you’ll still be in the minority among the neutrals for most of their games.

10. Bowdoin Clown

Why you should root for them : It’s always nice to root for the team you haven’t seen in a while, and Bowdoin is one of just two teams in the field returning to Nationals for the first time post-pandemic.

Why you shouldn’t : Like Miner Threat above them, Bowdoin stole a bid they didn’t earn. Though Bowdoin can claim it was an act of revenge, as Williams (who Clown beat in the game to go) stole Clown’s bid in 2023.

Verdict : The newness factor helps Bowdoin’s case somewhat, but there’s another team making a much anticipated return to Nationals (after a longer time away, no less) that has a much better chance of playing deep into the bracket to steal some of that shine. Clown are a great choice for a “second team” to root for, but be ready to jump ship as soon as Sunday morning.

9. Berry Bucks

Why you should root for them : Despite this being Berry ’s sixth-straight trip to Nationals, they haven’t done a whole lot with their first five, winning bracket games in only two of them. That fact gives them an “unfinished business” vibe that can be very fun to root for.

Why you shouldn’t : It’s hard to see that trend changing this year. Berry couldn’t make the bracket with Collin Hill on the roster last year. Ian Van Order is great, but like a couple others on this list, it’s hard to get too excited about a team that probably has a ceiling of prequarters.

8. Richmond Spidermonkeys

Why you shouldn’t : They may not be anything close to favorites this year, but Richmond has still spent the last half-decade as one of the division’s best programs, making semis in all but one of the last five seasons.

Verdict : If you’ve ever disagreed with something Calvin wrote, this is your chance to get back at him. Otherwise, Richmond is a good bet to pull off an upset or two, with perennial Coach of the Year candidate Matt Graves at the helm.

7. Carleton CHOP

Why you should root for them : It will never stop being wild to me that a school of barely over 2,000 students can put together four ultimate teams that are consistent Nationals qualifiers (and often, title contenders) in their respective divisions. And while I know it’s not the case that CHOP are CUT’s B-team, the fact that there’s a team above CHOP makes their performance that much more impressive.

Why you shouldn’t : CHOP are the third multiple-time champion in the field. Granted, both of those titles were well over a decade ago, but it’s always more fun to watch a team win their first.

Verdict : CHOP are the middle of a three team tier that could honestly go in any order. All three are former champions that are fun to root for, but envisioning a path to a semis berth is tough. CHOP at least have a potent offense that should be fun to watch.

6. Franciscan Fatal

Why you should root for them : Speaking of potent offenses, Franciscan has two of the best offensive players in the division in Jude Schmiesing and Matthew Gregor. Schmiesing can hit any throw on the field, and Gregor is simply bigger, faster, and stronger than 99% of his opponents, and he knows it.

Why you shouldn’t : They defeated my alma mater in the Ohio Valley regional final. More seriously, this is their seventh trip to Nationals in the last ten years. They’ve had their chance to be a fun bandwagon. Also, their draw is brutal. Davenport, Missouri S&T, and Bowdoin in pool play? A (likely) prequarters matchup against one of Lewis & Clark, Middlebury, or Wesleyan? Good luck.

Verdict : If you like frisbee families, Fatal are the team for you. They’ve got three Schmiesings (Jude, Max, and Augustine) on the roster this year, and previously had a number of different Schusters take the field in the 2010s.

5./4. Rochester Piggies/Wesleyan Nietzsch Factor

Why you should root for them : After years of “Metro Least” jokes, Rochester and Wesleyan combined to earn a strength bid, the first time since 2013 for the region. ⁵ After being the butt of the joke for years, it’s time to root for the Metro East.

Why you shouldn’t : Rather than admitting to being wrong about the Metro East, you could double down on the bit and become a professional hater.

Verdict : Wesleyan comes in slightly higher in this ranking because it’s slightly easier to envision them making a deep run, but these are both extremely well coached teams with plenty of talent. Welcome to the new era of the Metro Beast.

3. Elon Big Fat Bomb

Why you should root for them : Elon is the other longtime returnee in the field, qualifying for Nationals for the first time since 2015 and just the third time ever. And if you like risky offense, BFB are the team for you. They’re incredibly prone to taking the deep shot, but do have the athleticism necessary to make that work.

Why you shouldn’t : That tendency to take risks is evident in all facets of the game. BFB commit many simple mistakes and generally make you want to pull your hair out.

Verdict : Elon is one of the easiest teams to bandwagon this year. The fact that their best player is only a first-year means there’s a bit of a “you can wait your turn” feeling that the last two teams don’t have, so Elon settles for third in these very arbitrary rankings.

2. Whitman Sweets

Why you should root for them : Whitman has won seven straight Northwest Regionals, but don’t have much to show for it at the national level, never making it past quarters. ⁶ The time is now for the Sweets.

Why you shouldn’t : Whitman held a top line seed in 2023 and 2024, but failed to capitalize, dropping all their pool play games in 2023 and falling into prequarters in 2024. Why should 2025 be any different?

Verdict : Maybe the shorter travel to Nationals will help Whitman play better on Saturday? If so, Whitman is as good a team as any to pick up this year. The relative lack of star power is the only thing that keeps them from the top spot.

1. Lewis & Clark Bacchus

Why you should root for them : For one, Max Zwerin is incredibly fun to watch. Beyond him, Bacchus are talented, athletic, and play well within their system. After back-to-back years of a prequarters ceiling, the 2025 edition of Bacchus is ready to break through.

Why you shouldn’t : That previous prequarters ceiling gives reason for pause. Bacchus are the textbook high-risk/high-reward play, so steer clear if you like to play it safe.

Verdict : With a large senior class this year, this is Bacchus’ best and last chance to make a deep run in the bracket. They’re more than good enough to do it, and should be a joy to watch on the way.