2017 USPA National Intercollegiate Championship
WHAT: USPA National Intercollegiate Championship
WHEN: April 3-April 8
WHERE: Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club
3300 Via Real, Carpinteria, CA 93013
WHY:
The USPA National Intercollegiate Championship (NIC) showcases the top collegiate polo players from across the country as they battle to take home the coveted national championship title. A longstanding tradition, the first National Intercollegiate Championship for the John R. Townsend Men’s Intercollegiate Polo Trophy was won by Princeton University in 1922. In 1976, the Women’s Intercollegiate Championship for the Katydid Farm Women’s Intercollegiate Polo Trophy was introduced and Yale University took home the top honors. Today, the NIC provides an opportunity for collegiate players from all corners of the United States to come together and compete for the historic trophy.
The USPA National Intercollegiate Championship will be held at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club marking the first time that the USPA’s Intercollegiate/Interscholastic (I/I) Program’s Western Region has hosted the NIC.
“We are very excited to be going to the West Coast for the first time with the NIC,” remarked I/I Program Director Amy Fraser. “The teams and venues have been working hard for the past few years to be ready to put in a bid and we are thrilled with the regional support that has been shown. The committee and staff are eager to showcase the western region and introduce local youth players to teams from across the country!”
The Cornell University Women’s team will be on the hunt for a three-peat as they defend their back-to-back national titles in 2015 and 2016. However, perennial powerhouses Texas A&M University (TAMU), University of Virginia (UVA), University of Connecticut (UCONN) and Cal Poly University cannot be counted out. In the men’s tournament, defending champions Texas A&M University aims to keep possession of the national championship as they compete against the University of Virginia, Cornell University, Cal Poly University, Southern Methodist University (SMU) and Roger Williams University.
Fans can watch the opening match of the Women’s NIC on Monday, April 3, at 4:00pm PST as Cal Poly takes on Cornell at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club in Carpinteria, California. The men’s tournament kicks off Tuesday, April 4, at 11:00am PST as regional champion SMU faces off with Texas A&M. For those unable to make the trip to sunny Santa Barbara, the semifinals and finals of the men’s and women’s tournaments will be livestreamed on the USPA Polo Network on uspolo.org. To find out more about the USPA National Intercollegiate Championship, please visit uspolo.org.
Full schedule:
Monday, April 3
4:00pm PST – Cal Poly Women vs. Cornell Women
Tuesday, April 4
11:00am PST – SMU Men vs. TAMU Men
1:00pm PST Cornell Men vs. Cal Poly Men
Wednesday, April 5 (Semifinals)
11:00am PST – UVA Women vs. Winner of April 3 Game
1:00pm PST – TAMU Women vs. UCONN Women
Thursday, April 6 (Semifinals)
10:00am PST – UVA Men vs. Winner of April 4, 11am Game
12:00pm PST – Roger Williams vs. Winner of April 4, 1pm Game
Saturday, April 8
11:00am PST – National Intercollegiate Women’s Final
1:00pm PST – National Intercollegiate Men’s Final