The calendar has officially flipped to October, which means dodgeball fans rejoice as Pink Out, Akron’s annual first-semester tournament, will have its 11th rendition this Saturday, Oct. 17. Five of the Buckeye State’s finest will converge upon the “330” to duke it out for important in-state bragging rights and standing positions. Three of the nation’s top four teams in the most recent edition of the Power Rankings will face off this weekend, as the league’s cream of the crop looks to make early-season statements.
Akron
The hosts come into their second tournament of the season in need of some soul-searching. For a Zips program that entered 2025 Nationals as the #1 team in the nation, to find themselves sitting at 18th in the standings with an 0-3 record is dissapointing to some extremes. Since their run to the Semifinals in 2025, Akron has lost six All-American players to graduation, and runs out an inexperienced lineup of players who waited in the wings for their opportuities. There are bright spots for the Zips, with sophomore Alex Skwirut having a standout performance at the Buckeye Opener tournament in September. Akron will play four matches on their home court, a chance to test themselves against all teams that will be attending.
Cincinnati
The top team in the nation will face its biggest test of the season this Saturday: itself. Cincinnati has already rolled over Kent State and Ohio, the other top-five-ranked programs going to Pink Out, but the Bearcats will be without first-team All-Americans Will Hyatt and Brett Sweeney, along with All-Rookie Team members Mike Obert and Hayden Hollen, at Akron. Head Coach Matthew Rosinski knows the uphill battle his troops will face this weekend, saying, “New names will have to be made or UC will struggle in this tournament.” The Bearcat skipper also acknowledges the opportunity for his team to prove that “UC can compete with the top-end teams in this league, even without their top-end talent.” Cincinnati will look to remain undefeated, playing Akron, Ohio and Kent State in that order, as the current kings of the league attempt to retain their early-season throne.
Cleveland State
The Vikings were one of the league’s surprise teams last season, pulling off upsets that sent shockwaves around the league at both Nationals and the Ohio Dodgeball Cup. This will be the first tournament the Vikings play this season, and it will be a new-look CSU team with Jostein Sagnes and Antoine Lamar graduating. The Vikings still have Rookie of the Year runner-up Austin Blood and middle man Connor Buttari, but the depth is in question more than in recent years. Cleveland State President Devon Adams has high hopes for his new supporting cast, saying, “Don’t undersell our rookies for a second, because all of them are full of potential.” He specifically listed Ethan Schilens, Brandon Biggs and Silas Sundermeyer as “diaper dandies” to watch as the Vikings take on Ohio, Kent State and Akron to open their season.
Kent State
The Golden Flashes come in as the favorites to run the table at the 2026 edition of Pink Out, especially considering Cincinnati is not at full strength. The league’s third ranked team has been the odd man out over the past two seasons, trying to bre ak into the top two. Last year, it was a two-horse race between Michigan State and Ohio State, while this year, the Spartans and the Bearcats have emerged as the top contenders. “Expectations at Kent State are always high, and that mindset hasn’t changed for Pink Out. We’re locked in and determined to fight for a 4-0 day,” said president Carlton Pittman. Pittman also mentioned Jacob Steiner as a player to watch for the Golden Flashes this weekend. Kent State plays all four teams this weekend, and will have a chance to avenge demons against UC, as they lost to them at the Buckeye Opener in their first match of the year.
Ohio
Ohio is coming off a strong performance at the Buckeye Opener, which saw the green and white emphatically upset the hosts, Ohio State, 4-1. The Bobcats are extremely deep this season, with every player who featured in the season-opening tournament in Columbus stepping up and having a moment to remember. While Ohio is still searching for more pure firepower on the throwing side, the catching is phenomenal, and every player on the court is a threat to make the massive two-player swing with a snag. Watch out for Jalen Garnes to make a big step this tournament, as well as rookie Adam Noga to join the batallion of sticky handed Bobcats.
All games will be livestreamed on the NCDA Dodgeball Youtube channel, and games will begin at 9:20 AM, with the schedule below!
