As we head into the last week and a half before Nationals, I wanted to highlight some of East Coast’s top performers this season!
With nationals just around the corner, we thought it would be a great time to highlight some matches we have not seen this season. The following are five matchups that many fans are hoping to see at Nationals. There have been plenty of fantastic ones this season with lots of out of region travel, but there are still more we would love to see.
Continue reading “5 Matchups Everyone Wants to See at Nationals”In the 2023 Season, we have 36 technical upsets in 180 ranked matches (80.00% success rate) across 21 events.
This season marks the introduction of the NCDA Hybrid Ranking System as voted on by member teams during the 2022 election. The Hybrid Ranking System uses a combination of the Gonzalez System and the NHL Points System.
The Gonzalez System is a computer ranking model similar to Elo and is a rating exchange system based on research performed by World Rugby. It has been adapted by the NCDA to the demands of College Dodgeball, but can be tuned and customized endlessly to incorporate accurate data. It has been used to help determine seeds for the Nationals bracket since Nationals 2014, and was used exclusively for each Nationals bracket between 2017 and 2022.
The Champ Points System is a point-reward system based on the outcome of a match. A team who wins a match is awarded 2 points whether in regulation or overtime, a team who loses a match in overtime is awarded 1 point, and a team who loses in regulation is awarded 0 points.
Continue reading “Standings as of 2023-04-02”The following was written by content writer Matt Gonzalez (UNL). Throughout the history of the NCDA, there have been a variety of methods used to determine who the best team in the league is. The league has come a long way from the power rankings of its early years to the current hybrid system of the Gonzalez and Champ systems. One thing has remained constant though, there have always been critiques of the rankings systems. What if there was a simpler solution? What if there was a way to track an undisputed best team at any given time?
Thus, the concept of the College Dodgeball Championship Belt is born. A lineal championship belt, one that only exchanges hands when one person wins a head-to-head matchup, is used in sports like boxing and mixed martial arts. What would the history of the NCDA look like if this is how the top ranked team was determined?
Continue reading “College Dodgeball Championship Belt”The annual Zanderthon Throw-Down took place on February 25th at the University of Wisconsin Platteville. It was an event between current members and some familiar faces from the alumni. Even though it was just Platteville and its alumni, it made for a fun and exciting day of competitive dodgeball. Let’s take a look below at the results on the day.
This past Saturday, 11 teams from 3 different regions made the drive to Akron, Ohio to compete in the largest tournament of the season outside of nationals. A lot of teams were able to play new opponents from different regions, allowing viewers to get a preview of how they will stack up with each other down the road in April. In this article, we will discuss whether each team’s stock is rising, falling, or just staying neutral.
Continue reading “WAR VI Recap”As we roll into what is often the largest inter-region tournament before Nationals, each of the 11 teams in attendance have something big to play for. With squads coming from as far as Lincoln, Nebraska to just right down the road in Kent or Cleveland, this event will surely not disappoint. Lets start with a team by team breakdown of what we should be seeing come Saturday and some WAR history starting with the newly #1 ranked team in the country.
Continue reading “WAR VI Preview”
On Saturday, February 25th, Ohio State University hosted the 2023 edition of the Ohio Dodgeball Cup tournament, and for the second straight season, the Cincinnati Bearcats were declared champions. The tournament, featuring all 8 active Ohio region teams, was played in a single elimination format, with consolation and placement matches giving a final ranking to each team. Here is how each team did:
While the one seed lived up to their positioning coming into the tournament, and Ohio State battled back throughout multiple matches, not everything else went by “chalk” on Saturday. Let’s dig a little deeper into each team’s performance, and really pull some key takeaways that those who were not in attendance or able to watch at home should know.
Continue reading “Cincinnati Secures Second Consecutive Ohio Dodgeball Cup”Team writeups provided by the NCDA Power Ranking Panel
1) Michigan State – The clear #1 team in the country, Michigan State continued their historic season at the Michigan Dodgeball Cup where they went 4-0, including a clutch comeback victory over Grand Valley State in the final match of the day. There is plenty of dodgeball left to be played, but the Spartans are currently on pace to be the first school since GVSU in 2009 to be undefeated National Champions. Led by the likes of Jack Girling, Barry Butler III, Josh Kramer, and DQ McClean, this MSU roster has an insane amount of experience to go along with a solid group of talented young players. Expect MSU to remain the NCDA favorite heading into April.
Continue reading “Power Rankings: March 2023”The NCDA Content Team produces articles, graphics, videos, photography, spreads and more! We asked members to share their role, what they’ve been working on, and what they’re hoping to accomplish this season.
Meet the team!
Continue reading “Meet the Staff”It is another weekend of dodgeball and Platteville is hosting the the 7th annual Zanderthon Throw-Down on February 25th. Although, this time around it will just be the current players vs the alumni, we are still expecting to see some exciting matchups and some entertaining dodgeball. The day will start out with a full NCDA match between the current team and alumni followed by mixing up teams to compete in a 6v6 round robin tournament that will end with the top two teams in the championship match! Let’s take a look at each of the teams below and the schedule for the day.
The 2023 Ohio Dodgeball Cup will take place this Saturday, February 25th. Ohio State University will be host to this year’s tournament which features an 8-team, single-elimination bracket to determine the winner. There are several legitimate contenders to win it this year, which will undoubtedly lead to high drama late in the day. Below is an analysis for each team provided by Content Team members Ethan Lehmkuhl and Kevin Skiba.
Continue reading “2023 Ohio Dodgeball Cup Preview”In the 2023 Season, we have 28 technical upsets in 139 ranked matches (79.86% success rate) across 17 events.
This season marks the introduction of the NCDA Hybrid Ranking System as voted on by member teams during the 2022 election. The Hybrid Ranking System uses a combination of the Gonzalez System and the NHL Points System.
The Gonzalez System is a computer ranking model similar to Elo and is a rating exchange system based on research performed by World Rugby. It has been adapted by the NCDA to the demands of College Dodgeball, but can be tuned and customized endlessly to incorporate accurate data. It has been used to help determine seeds for the Nationals bracket since Nationals 2014, and was used exclusively for each Nationals bracket between 2017 and 2022.
The Champ Points System is a point-reward system based on the outcome of a match. A team who wins a match is awarded 2 points whether in regulation or overtime, a team who loses a match in overtime is awarded 1 point, and a team who loses in regulation is awarded 0 points.
Continue reading “Standings as of 2023-02-20”
EAST LANSING, MI – Michigan State University’s dodgeball club capped off a challenging and emotional week with a Michigan Dodgeball Cup (MDC) on Saturday at IM West. The Spartans (12-0) defeated Grand Valley State (13-6) to win their second consecutive MDC and remain the #1 team in the country. Also in attendance were Western Michigan (finished 2-2 on the day), Saginaw Valley State (1-3), and Central Michigan (0-4).
Below is a recap of each team and the main storylines surrounding them at the Michigan Dodgeball Cup and heading towards the end of the season.
Continue reading “Michigan State Concludes Emotional Week with 2nd Straight MDC Title”On February 4th, Cleveland State University held the Viking Royale. Teams in attendance were Cleveland State University, Miami University (OH), Western Michigan University, Saginaw Valley State University, Kent State University, Akron University, and Ohio State University. Below are the results for the day.
