The 2025–2026 National Collegiate Dodgeball Association season is in full swing, with many teams gearing up for their second tournament of the young campaign. Four of the league’s strongest programs will meet in Oxford, Ohio, for the South Oak Showdown on Saturday, October 18. The event promises plenty of fireworks and storylines to follow, including yet another rematch of last year’s national championship game. Let’s take a look at each team making the trip to southwest Ohio and their thoughts on the matches ahead.
On September 6th, the Dodgeball Club at UW-Platteville hosted the annual Tim Ebert Memorial tournament. Tim was a player on the UWP team that made a huge impact and with the scholarship in his name he will continue to make an impact. This event was able to raise over $1,000 and with that amount raised, we will be offering two scholarships. One will go to a current player on the Platteville Dodgeball Club and another to an individual around the league.
The Clifton Heights Classic IV brought just over half of the Ohio teams together with the addition of NKU on September 27th. For most of these teams, this was their first tournament of the season, so we got a fresh look at the new rookie class for each team. Nearly every matchup in this tournament went the distance for an exciting weekend of matches. Let’s dive in to see how each team did in Clifton.
In the wake of NDA Nationals, the Central Region looks forward to Nebraska’s home tournament, the Cornhusker Clash! In this tournament, University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL) and University of Wisconsin Platteville (UWP) will go head-to-head in a double-header in the eighth iteration of the tournament. The rivalry between the two schools has always been intense, and UNL has always come out on top at the Clash. Will the pattern repeat this year? Let’s take a look at what each team is bringing to the table this weekend!
The Buckeye Opener kicked off the 2025-26 season on September 20th, and there was no shortage of drama. Transfers, graduations and rookies all created new looks for all of the teams in attendance, but the rivalries remained intense in the always contentious Ohio region. When the dust settled on the day, the Buckeyes were the only undefeated team remaining, but there were close points, blowouts, and surprises all throughout the day. If last Saturday in Columbus was any indication of how the season will go, we’re in for a year of incredibly entertaining and unpredictable dodgeball.
The sixth edition of Maryland Madness delivered everything East Coast dodgeball fans could ask for—tight finishes, breakout performances, and an early look at the region’s power hierarchy. Host Maryland pushed James Madison to overtime before fading late, while the Dukes shook off their opener to steamroll rival Virginia in a statement win. UVA, shorthanded but resilient, managed a solid victory over the Terps before running into JMU’s relentless firepower. From highlight catches to dominant throwing displays, the tournament set the tone for a fiercely competitive 2025 season.
September 20th was the day of tournaments across the league. In the Central Region, UW-Platteville (UWP) and UW-Stout (UWS) (and alumni) traveled to UW-Eau Claire (UWEC) for the second annual Eau Claire Brawl tournament. This was the first NCDA tournament of the season for all those who attended, and it allowed the teams’ newbies to test the waters of NCDA dodgeball. All photos included were taken by Richard Laux.
On Saturday, September 27th, the University of Cincinnati will be hosting the Clifton Heights Classic IV. The six teams that will be in attendance will be Bowling Green State University (BGSU), Miami University (Miami), Northern Kentucky University (NKU), Ohio University (Ohio), THE Ohio State University (OSU), and the hosts, the University of Cincinnati (UC). With over half of the Ohio teams in attendance plus the Southern Dodgeball Cup Champs, we should be in for a fantastic weekend of matchups to see where these teams stand in the early stages of the 2025/2026 season.
Mark September 20th on your calendars ’cause UW-Eau Claire (UWEC) will be hosting the second annual Eau Claire Brawl tournament. This year the schools expected to attend are UW-Platteville (UWP) and UW-Stout (UWS) as well as several alumni players. Below is the schedule and a brief breakdown of each team who will be in attendance.
The South enters this season with plenty of unknowns, making it one of the most intriguing regions to watch. Much of its strength will depend on the addition and development of new programs, and the NCDA is excited to welcome the Alabama Crimson Tide into league play. Georgia Tech is another prospective team on the horizon, adding to the buzz surrounding the region’s growth.
Despite the uncertainty, one thing feels certain — Northern Kentucky enters as the clear favorite to repeat as South Dodgeball Cup champions. With their experience and proven track record, NKU will set the standard for the rest of the region to chase.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – East Coast Dodgeball is finally back. This Saturday, September 20th, Maryland (UMD) will host Virginia (UVA) and James Madison (JMU) in the first East Coast action of the season. After a competitive finish to last year’s East Coast season (including an overtime thriller in the East Coast Dodgeball Cup championship game), the stage is set for an electric first tournament. Let’s take a look at the schedule and teams:
Maryland opens the season at 19th in the NCDA standings. They’ll start off by facing JMU in the first match of the tournament, and it should be a good one. UMD’s defensive style, anchored by the arm of Senior All-East Coast corner Adam Butz, makes them a tough matchup for any team in the association. After the first-ever win against JMU last year in program history, as well as competitive games against UVA throughout the season, UMD is prepared to come out of the gate hot. Should the Terps play mistake-free and stay composed, they have a huge opportunity to upset both of their Saturday opponents.
James Madison
The Dukes open their 2025 campaign at 10th in the overall standings, for the first time in recent history opening the season not the undisputed favorite to win the East Coast. That doesn’t mean this team still isn’t dangerous, though – the reigning ECDC champs still possess the best arm talent in the region, returning the talented arms of All-East Coast selections Jaxson Hannie, Preston Anderson, and Ryan Pendleton, among others. To start their ECDC defense off on the right foot, the Dukes need to stay composed and take advantage of their arms, and rely on clutch catching as they have in the past. JMU is elite at exploiting their opponents’ mistakes, and should they capitalize as they have in the past, they’ll start the season off 2-0.
UVA
After a program-best season in 2024, UVA sits atop the East Coast at #9 in the overall NCDA standings. The Cavaliers believe their catch-first, ask questions later game plan sets them up very well against the rest of the East Coast, and the NCDA in general. However, UVA will be without 2024 All-East Coast and Third-team All-American Grady Holmes for Maryland Madness, and a lackluster Virginia performance in College Park could raise questions about the Hoos’ depth as we progress further into the season, especially after losing Second-team AA selection Kenji McCartney and All-East Coast selection Joseph Beauchamp in the offseason. Nevertheless, when UVA is on their game, focused, and communicating, they might just be the best catching team in the league.
Other thoughts: During the tournament, there will be a scrimmage for freshmen and rookies, and a potential inclusion for a new team in the league: UMBC. This way, new players can get some tournament experience to get them amped up for league games later in the season. We should be in for some really competitive games – there was at least one overtime period at every regional event last season, and all signs point to renewed competition this year. Games will be streamed starting at 10:00 AM.
No region in the NCDA brings more tension and bad blood than the East Coast. Every matchup feels personal, every rivalry runs deep. Yet for all the passion, the East hasn’t had a team make the national title game since the now-defunct Towson Tigers claimed the title in 2019. This season, the landscape shifts: Virginia has stormed into the #1 spot, overtaking perennial powerhouse JMU and putting the entire East Coast on notice. With bragging rights, bitter rivalries, and national respect at stake, the East enters the year starving for redemption. The hunger is real — the only question is, who will rise from the fire and carry the this region back to glory?
Dodgeball is finally back in the Buckeye State, and Columbus, the site of this years nationals, will also be hosting the inaugural event of the 2025-26 season. This years Buckeye Opener promises to be filled with drama, as 5 Ohio region teams go head-to-head, with plenty of storylines and rivalries at play. Every team comes in with something to prove, but there isn’t room for everyone to make a statement, meaning someone has to go home disappointed. Every game matters in the incredibly contentious Ohio region, meaning there will be fireworks from the jump in Columbus.
Each year the Platteville Dodgeball Club puts on the Tim Ebert Memorial Scholarship Tournament. The tournament was held on Saturday, September 6th and we raised $1,050. Tim Ebert was a player at the University of Wisconsin Platteville who was respected by his teammates as a captain and friend. Tim could always be counted on, always there to help, and was always making a difference. The funds raised go towards a scholarship in his name offered by the Platteville Dodgeball Club.
The Central Region is shaping up to be one of the most exciting landscapes in college dodgeball. Illinois is quickly rising into contention, signaling a shift in power as fellow Big Ten program Nebraska-Lincoln comes down from its reign of dominance. With several prospective schools showing interest and momentum building across the board, the region is expanding at a rapid pace—rivaling even the South as the fastest-growing hotspot in the league.
