I’m going to make this as brief as possible, as we have plenty of articles coming out over the next few weeks that will give our content team more opportunity to dive into the details on everything, but see below for my initial ‘reaction’ to yet another incredible NCDA Nationals.
Towson University is forever etched in College Dodgeball History.
Towson did it! They broke the unbreakable streak. Well, multiple streaks actually. The Tigers broke GVSU’s NCDA record 6-year title streak, they broke the state of Michigan’s remarkable 12-year title streak, and they broke their own school’s streak of not making it past the quarterfinals. Quite the breakthrough season. More on Towson in the coming weeks, but I’ll just say, they had a fantastic season, and I know that alumni base is very proud of this team for finally earning a national title. The 2018-19 Towson Tigers will forever be remembered as the team that broke the streak.
It’s not easy to stay on top
GVSU found that one out the hard way this year. I’d venture to say GVSU had their worst day last Sunday, while Towson had their best. That right there is how the “better team” loses a title. GVSU had an incredible 6-year run, but it had to come to an end eventually. It isn’t easy to stay on top folks, especially in the current NCDA where we have so many teams improving enough to be considered title contenders. Don’t be surprised if the Lakers come back with a vengeance in 2019-20.
The depth of the league continues to improve
As mentioned above, we are seeing more and more teams become ‘contenders’. Whether it was VCU pulling an upset over CMU, Ohio forcing OT with GVSU, or UWP and UMD coming out of nowhere to shock everyone with their skill at Nationals, the event we all witnessed last weekend reinforced the notion that the NCDA is becoming a deeper league each and every season. Not to get too ahead of ourselves, but depth and parity look like themes for next season. It’s gonna be impossible to figure out a way-too-early top 25 for 2019-20…
East Coast Region had a great weekend
Fantastic showing by the East Coast last weekend. Not only did Towson earn the East their fist ever national championship, but the region also had some big surprise wins. VCU went 3-0 on Saturday of Nationals (all OT wins), UMD made the Quarterfinals, and all of this occurred with the clear #2 team in the East (JMU) not in attendance. Safe to say the East is the #2 region in the NCDA as of now.
Mad City / Mainstream Media have impacted the future of our sport in a major way
Wow! What an amazing job the video production crew did. From planning stages to execution, the video production at Nationals was second to none at a dodgeball event. We can’t wait to get all of that footage and start using it to promote our league! The impact this top-notch footage will have on our league’s future is significant. We can’t thank the crew enough for everything they brought to the table. Also, Mad City and Mainstream Media will be doing a rebroadcast of Championship Sunday in the near future, stay tuned for details on that!
College Dodgeball is unbelievably entertaining
I said it last year, I’ll say it again. College Dodgeball is the best form of dodgeball without a shadow of a doubt. Anyone who is unaware of the NCDA, hasn’t gotten around to watching footage, or is just straight up ignoring this league because it isn’t their favorite style.. y’all are missing out. For real! The energy, excitement, teamwork, strategy, passion, and school pride that we see at NCDA Nationals every year makes me more and more sure that this format is going to continue to grow the sport. The crowd during the GVSU vs. CMU Final Four match… I had to take a moment to sit back and just appreciate the atmosphere. It looked like a legitimate college sport… we are headed in the right direction. None of that would be possible without all the hardworking student athletes in the NCDA. So, for that, on behalf of the NCDA Staff, we say thank you, for another unforgettable season of College Dodgeball!
BONUS SECTION: My MVP Race after this weekend:
- Brandon Meisel (GVSU) – Unbelievable season, and unbelievable career. When taking into account the body of work of each individual all season long, Brandon is unquestionably the clubhouse leader for MVP. He will go down as one of the most accomplished NCDA players of all time.
- Austin Brege (CMU) – No player’s stock rose more than Brege’s at Nationals. This guy is such a huge part of his team’s offense, and he led the inexperience Chippewas within overtime of a title game appearance. He is an easy choice at #2
- Jordan Watt (Towson) – What a way to end a career! Watt, who has been the key to Towson’s offense all year had a great Nationals and finished his final season winning a National Title. He should be in everyone’s top 5 on their ballot.
- Tom Morand (Miami) – Another guy who should be high on every ballot, Tom was so important to Miami all year, and at times looked to carry a young team to success. Miami will be back stronger next year, and Tom will be my preseason MVP favorite.
- Kyle Bruce (SVSU) – Kyle ends his career unfortunately not making it back to the Final Four, but his impact on SVSU’s success is hard to quantify. Kyle did an incredible job all year controlling the middle of the court, and his skills are some of the best in the NCDA.