November 2021 Polo Players' Edition- Splitting up

Splitting Up

Teams to Be Placed in One of Two Divisions

By Emily Dewey

©Cathy Wallace

For as long as it has existed, college coaches and supporters of the Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Program have debated ways to grow collegiate polo. Ideas have been proposed, tried, and cast aside, but one theory that emerged in the last decade continued to rise to the top of conversations: what if the intercollegiate teams were split into two divisions?

During the summer of 2020, the question was posed again and a sub-committee of coaches from all levels of college polo was formed to discuss the possibility. The concept that developed out of that group was to focus on increasing the number of emerging teams competing in the spring tournaments and the number of competitive games at every level. After putting a pause on intercollegiate polo for a calendar year, the USPA and I/I leadership agreed the up-coming season would be as good a time as any to give two divisions a try.

While not an unfamiliar concept to college sports enthusiasts, divisions in college polo will have nothing to do with scholarship availability and school or budget size. Division assignments will be based on the strength of teams, and determined by rosters, a team’s regular season scores and strength

of its schedule. Opinions will also be pulled from committee members, coaches, umpires, managers, and staff to make the most accurate placement of teams.

In addition, women’s and men’s teams from the same school will not be required to play in the same division, allowing teams to participate at an appropriate level. Perhaps the most important detail is teams will be able to move back and forth between the divisions from year to year to accommodate for student matriculation and annual roster changes.

All teams will begin the year competing in regular season games both in and outside their assigned region starting Sept. 1. These games can come from one-off competitions, weekend trips, or longer tournaments, but all games must use the I/I tournament conditions. By Oct. 6, teams must declare their intentions to compete in the spring tournaments by filling out a simple form and including a list of possible rostered players for the year. Games and tournaments continue through the fall, including the notable Fall Fandango, Field Tournament, Mustang Madness, and Virginia Invitational, all of which have served as training grounds for players, coaches, managers, and umpires for many years.

By Dec. 1, all college teams must submit at least one qualified game score sheet to the I/I staff. These score sheets, along with available game video, a coaches’ poll, and input from staff and volunteers, will be used by the I/I’s National Host Tournament Committee to determine which division each team will be placed in. After the assignments are made public, teams will have two weeks to request a change to their division assignment.

Teams are encouraged to continue playing games up until the spring tournaments begin, but each team must have a minimum of two score sheets turned into the I/I staff by Feb. 1 to aid in all tournaments being seeded appropriately.

©Julie Cordero Photography

Teams selected for Division I will play in either an east or west regional depending on their location. Teams in the Northeastern and Southeastern regions will play in the east tournament, while Central and Western teams will play in the west tournament. Winners will move on to the DI national tournament and wildcards will be chosen by the NHTC to fill out the line-ups.

Teams selected for Division II will play in their region’s preliminary or regional tournament (Central, Northeastern, Southeastern, Western). Winners will move on to the DII national and wildcards may be chosen to fill out the tournament.

The USPA Division II National Intercollegiate Championship will be hosted by the Central Coast Polo Club in Los Osos, California, from Mar. 22-27. The Division I National Intercollegiate Championship will take place at Virginia Polo Inc. in Charlottesville, Virginia, from April 4-10. Fans are

encouraged to follow their favorite teams on social media and track their season records on the I/I pages of uspolo.org.