A Note about the NCUA from Cultimate

We thank you for your continued patience and discussion as Conference 1 and the NCUA have unfolded. Over the weekend at CCC, after the C1 Captains Meeting, I had the opportunity to talk with Kyle Weisbrod (UPA Board Member) about the potential for collaboration for the 2009 season and beyond. Kyle, along with the Board Members in attendance at the meeting on Saturday evening (David Lionetti and Ricky Eikstadt), appear open to discussing changes to the 2009 season that can keep the UPA's Series largely intact while still offering components of a meaningful regular season and improved post season as proposed by Cultimate.

The most evident hold-up for all teams has been the concept of control, and a perception that Cultimate is out to control College Ultimate. Cultimate's only interest is to provide a better competitive structure for the College Division and to produce a marketable platform within College Ultimate. The creation of a separate non-profit in the NCUA (a largely redundant organization to the UPA), reinforces the concept that Cultimate's principles are not interested in maintaining sole decision-making power. The NCUA and Conference 1 merely provided a vehicle to institute the changes that many want but the UPA has not provided.

To this end, we have already committed to the UPA and to Conference 1 captains, that we will not force anyone to choose to participate outside the UPA Series. In addition, the NCUA website has been taken down, and recruitment suspended. Conference 1, already adjusted once to allow teams to play tournaments outside C1 events, will continue to take the form that makes sense for college teams. In the meantime, we have transferred all our energy and efforts into finding ways to improve the current competitive structure and continuing to make strides to promote the sport. In our meetings with the UPA in Sarasota, we were happy to commit to participating in the UPA's task force, and were extended an offer to place bids to run Regional tournaments.

Cultimate is proud to host some of the best events of the college season, and will continue to do so in 2009. We thank everyone who has participated in Events during the fall, and look forward to being part of the Spring season. We will continue to advocate for the College Division, and constatly strive to innovate and improve in the interests of those that matter, the players.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at coordinator@cultimate.com.

Cyle Van Auken
Matthew 'Skip' Sewell
Cultimate Team