On November 8th, 2025, UW-Platteville will be hosting one of their two home tournaments, the Pioneer Classic and it will be the sixth iteration. This tournament will be bigger than past years with University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) University of Wisconsin-Stout (UWS) and University of Eau Claire (UWEC) joining the alumni team. In addition to the NCDA games, there will be an official Women’s No-Sting game between UWP A and the UIUC women as well as an unofficial match between UWP B and a mixed team. Below is the schedule for the event followed by what can be expected.
UWP
This year, with the success the team’s had for recruiting, Platteville will be bringing two teams for the day. They will be bringing an A team with fifteen players and a B team with twelve players. Having so many players able to attend a tournament to the point of an additional team is a new occurrence for UWP, and it just shows how well their recruiting went this year. This tournament will be another chance for the newer members to get a grasp of what a tournament is like as well as an opportunity to build their on-court confidence.
UNL
The Cornhuskers will be making the trip up to UWP for their second tournament of the season and their third match against UWP. With eighteen players making the journey, they are hoping to come up and continue their winning streak against UWP and hopefully any other team they play. With the rookies performing as well as they did at the Cornhusker Clash, the team is set up for success if they can stick to their style.
UIUC
The last time UIUC was in Platteville was the Zanderthon Throwdown where they went 2-0 against UWP. This time, with a team of fourteen, they’ll make the trip up for their second tournament of the season after the South Oak Showdown back in October. Their performance last season granted them a place in the championship bracket at nationals, so their main goal is to maintain the position they held at the end of last season.
UWS
UW-Stout’s last tournament at UWEC showed a lot of promise. They had several rookies that confidently held their own against the more experienced teams they played, and they demonstrated a good understanding of the game. Their main goal is to continue to develop their skills and play as many new teams as they can. It will be exciting to see how they grow and improve over the season.
UWEC
Even though UW-Eau Claire will be teaming up with the UWP alumni, that doesn’t mean that they won’t be able to make an impact on the teams they play. They are a team that knows how to have fun, and their spontaneity on the court keeps all those who play them on their toes. Luckily, the alumni are also there to have fun, so they will be entertaining to watch, no doubt.
Make sure to tune in to watch the games live. They will be streamed on the UW-Platteville Dodgeball YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to get notifications when they go live!