NCDA – National Collegiate Dodgeball Association

College Dodgeball Championship Belt

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?

Zanderthon Throw-Down 7 Recap

The annual Zanderthon Throw-Down took place on February 25th at the Univeristy of Wisconsin Platteville. It was an event between current members and some familar 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.

WAR VI Recap

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.

WAR VI Preview

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.

Cincinnati Secures Second Consecutive Ohio Dodgeball Cup

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:

Cincinnati (3-0 Record: W 8-0 Kent State, W 7-0 Akron, W 3-2 Ohio State)
Ohio State (2-1 Record: W 7-0 Cleveland State, W 4-3 Ohio, L 2-3 Cincinnati)
Akron (2-1 Record: W 6-1 Bowling Green, L 0-7 Cincinnati, W 3-2 Ohio)
Ohio (1-2 Record: W 6-2 Miami, L 3-4 Ohio State, L 2-3 Akron)
Bowling Green (2-1 Record: L 1-6 Akron, W 6-0 Kent State, W 4-1 Miami)
Miami (1-2 Record: L 2-6 Ohio, W 6-1 Cleveland State, L 1-4 Bowling Green)
Kent State (1-2 Record: L 0-8 Cincinnati, L 0-6 Bowling Green, W 3-1 Cleveland State)
Cleveland State (0-3 Record: L 0-7 Ohio State, L 1-6 Miami, L 1-3 Kent State)

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.

Power Rankings: March 2023

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.

Meet the Staff

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!

Zanderthon Throw-Down 7 Preview

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.

2023 Ohio Dodgeball Cup Preview

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.

Standings as of 2023-02-20

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.

Michigan State Concludes Emotional Week with 2nd Straight MDC Title

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.

Viking Royale Recap

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.

Pre-Trophy Preview Ohio Region

As time grows closer to the Ohio Dodgeball Cup and Nationals, let’s take a step back and look at all the Ohio schools and their season so far. The following teams in this region are: Ohio Univeristy, University of Cincinnati, Ohio State University, University of Akron, Bowling Green State University, Miami University, Cleveland State Univeristy, and Kent State University. We asked respondents from each school these questions about how they felt their season has gone and general knowledge about their clubs.

1. Who is your OT6 (please include if they are a captain, rookie, etc)?

2. Anything notable go well for you at these tournaments? Anything you need to improve on?

3. Any changes for your team heading into the spring semester?

4. Which tournament are you most excited for this spring?

5. What team would you most like to play?

6. Do you have any rising players on your team you’d like to give a shoutout?

7. How will your team do this spring?

8. Please list 3 players you think should be on AA and womens AA (not including your team).

9. Please list 1 rookie youve been impressed by (not including your team).

10. Please give us your thoughts on 1 team ranked above you and 1 team ranked below you.

Pre-Trophy Preview Michigan Region

As time grows closer to the Michigan Dodgeball Cup and Nationals, let’s take a step back and look at all the Michigan Region schools and their seasons so far. The following teams are: Michigan State Univeristy, Grand Valley State Univeristy, Saginaw Valley State Univeristy, Western Michigan University, and Central Michigan University. We asked respondents from each school these questions about how they felt their season has gone and general knowledge about their clubs.

1. Who is your OT6? (please include if they are a captain, rookie, etc.
2. Anything notable go well for you at these tournaments? Anything you need to improve on?
3. Any changes for your team heading into the spring semester?
4. Which tournament are you most excited for this spring?
5. What team would you most like to play?
6. Do you have any rising players on your team you’d like to give a shoutout?
7. How will your team do this spring?
8. Please list 3 players you think should be on AA and womens AA (not including your team)
9. Please list 1 rookie youve been impressed by (not including your team)
10. Please give us your thoughts on 1 team ranked above you and 1 team ranked below you.

Mid Season Preview East Coast

As time grows closer to Nationals, let’s take a step back and look at all the East Coast schools and their seasons so far. The following teams are: James Madison University, Towson University, Penn State University, University of Maryland, and University of Virginia. We asked respondents from each school these questions about how they felt their season has gone and general knowledge about their clubs.

1. Who is your OT6? (please include if they are a captain, rookie, etc).
2. Anything notable go well for you at these tournaments? Anything you need to improve on?
3. Any changes for your team heading into the spring semester?
4. Which tournament are you most excited for this spring?
5. What team would you most like to play?
6. Do you have any rising players on your team you’d like to give a shoutout?
7. How will your team do this spring?
8. Please list 3 players you think should be on AA and womens AA (not including your team).
9. Please list 1 rookie youve been impressed by (not including your team)
10. Please give us your thoughts on 1 team ranked above you and 1 team ranked below you.