UIUC – NCDA

Zanderthon Throw-Down X Recap

The annual Zanderthon Throw-Down took place on February 21st at the University of Wisconsin Platteville. This event had the following teams represented: Platteville, Illinois, Stout, Eau Claire, Nebraska, Winona State, River Falls, La Crosse, Stevens Point, Iowa, and UWP alumni. This was one the biggest events ever held in the central region. In previous years, the Zanderthon Throw-Down was just between UWP and UNL and just last year it was UWP vs UIUC. It show cased a total of ten teams. Six current member teams and four upcoming teams with the potential of joining the league this semester.

We also had two women’s matches on the day and added another team to the women’s standings with UNL having their first official match as a club! There were a lot of exciting matches with a few overtimes. Let’s take a look at the results and hear some thoughts from players on the day. Pictures below were taken by Emily Diekmann.

Zanderthon Throw-Down X Preview

Platteville will be hosting the 10th annual Zanderthon Throw-Down on February 21st. The teams in attendance will be the University of Wisconsin Platteville (UWP), the University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL), the University of Iowa, Winona State University (WSU), University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (UIUC), the University of Wisconsin Stout (UWS), University of Wisconsin Eau Claire (UWEC), upcoming Wisconsin schools, and alumni. This weekend will mark one of the biggest events to date for this region and for a lot of players in attendance, this is going to be their first experience playing college dodgeball. Let’s take a look at the teams and the schedule below.

Women’s Spartan Smackdown Recap

On January 31st, Michigan State University (MSU) hosted this years Women’s Spartan Smackdown no-sting tournament! This was the last big no-sting event before nationals, which we now know will be hosted by University of Akron. It was amazing to see all those who showed up especially the teams who could form secondary teams! The day was long and each team played hard, so let’s take a look at how they did and read about what some players thought about the day!

Central Dodgeball Cup

Women’s Spartan Smackdown Preview

On Saturday, January 31st, Michigan State University (MSU) will be hosting the Spartan Smackdown Women’s tournament! This tournament will see a few new faces like the University of Wisconsin-Platteville team, the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, and the Northern Kentucky University team. It will also be showcasing the reigning women’s no-sting champions, University of Ohio-Akron as well as big-shots and host, Michigan State University. This tournament will help solidify the positions of the women’s teams while also helping the rookies get a feel for the current league atmosphere leading up to nationals. Let’s hope our rookie teams can turn some heads while our veteran teams provide an invaluable example of what a team can become.

Central Mid-Season Recap

We reach a breathing point of the season, so we can finally see what’s been accomplished thus far. Fun games and intense games go hand-in-hand with the growing women’s league as well as the brand new tournaments and rookie squads. The central region has done quite a bit of growing since last year. UNL still sits at the top with UIUC not far behind, UWS and UWP fight for their spots, and Iowa and UWEC dip their toes into the waters for their first official season.

Pioneer Classic VI Recap

November 8th, 2025, UW-Platteville (UWP) hosted the sixth iteration of their Pioneer Classic tournament. It was cold and raining, but it was still a great day for dodgeball. A squad from every central region team except Iowa made their way to Platteville, and UWP invited their Radio Club to commentate again to help reach a broader audience. Below is a reminder of the day’s schedule, so let’s take a look at how each team did! All photos included are credited to Reagan Bucholtz.

Pioneer Classic Preview

On November 8th, 2025, UW-Platteville will be hosting one of their two home tournaments, the Pioneer Classic and it will be the sixth iteration. This tournament will be bigger than past years with University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) University of Wisconsin-Stout (UWS) and University of Eau Claire (UWEC) joining the alumni team. In addition to the NCDA games, there will be an official Women’s No-Sting game between UWP A and the UIUC women as well as an unofficial match between UWP B and a mixed team. Below is the schedule for the event followed by what can be expected.

South Oak Showdown Preview

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.

Central Region Preview 2025-2026

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.

2025 All Central Region Conference

The 2024-2025 season comes to an end and it is time to recognize the individuals that put in the work to make it onto The Central All-Region team. The Central Region consists of the following teams: University of Nebraska Lincoln, University of Wisconsin Stout, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Wisconsin Platteville. This list consists of the top 12 players in the conference, voted on by their peers. A special thanks to the players that helped with this. Let’s take a look at the results and individuals below!

Illini Impact Recap

On Saturday, March 8th the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (UIUC) hosted their club’s first ever home tournament. The other teams in attendance were: University of Wisconsin Platteville (UWP), University of Cincinnati (UC), Miami University (Miami), and Cleveland State University (CSU).Let’s take a look at the results and see what the captains had to say on the day!

Illini Impact Preview

This Saturday, March 8th the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (UIUC) will be hosting its first ever home tournament and we should be in for a good one. The teams in attendance will be the University of Wisconsin Platteville (UWP), University of Cincinnati (UC), Miami University (Miami), and Cleveland State University (CSU). Let’s take a look at the schedule and teams below.

Zanderthon Throw-Down IX Recap

The annual Zanderthon Throw-Down took place on March 1st at the University of Wisconsin Platteville. This event was between Platteville, Illinois, Stout, Eau Claire and UWP alumni. Let’s take a look at the results and here some thoughts from the day!

Zanderthon Throw-Down IX Preview

Platteville will be hosting the the 9th annual Zanderthon Throw-Down on March 1st. The teams in attendance will be the University of Wisconsin Platteville (UWP), the University of Wisconsin Stout (UWS), University of Wisconsin Eau Claire (UWEC), University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (UIUC), and alumni. This weekend UWEC and Stout will join up to make a team and UWP and UIUC will be doing a double header making it 4 times they will have played each other. Let’s take a look at the teams, the schedule, and some thoughts from a few players below.