U.S. Polo Assn. Outfits Teams at the National Intercollegiate Championship (NIC), with Finals Airing on ESPN
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., April 17, 2024 (Newswire.com) - U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), outfitted teams in the 2024 Division I Women’s and Men’s National Intercollegiate Championship (NIC) Finals, presented by the USPA. Played on Sunday, April 14, the University of Virginia won the Women’s Division against runner-up Texas A&M University, and the University of North Texas brought home the victory for the Men’s Division against Southern Methodist University. Representing the top-rated intercollegiate polo programs in the country, the Women’s and Men’s Finals will air on Sunday, April 21, at 11 a.m. EDT on ESPNU. Check your local listings for airtimes.
The global U.S. Polo Assn. brand proudly supports rising student-athletes in the sport of polo and outfitted 52 collegiate polo teams for the 2024 Collegiate Polo Season. There were 13 teams that qualified to compete in the USPA’s Division I National Intercollegiate Championships, where the final contenders in the Women’s Division included the University of Virginia, Texas A&M University, University of South Carolina-Aiken, University of Kentucky, California Polytechnic State University, Southern Methodist University, and the University of California Davis. The final contenders in the Men’s Division included the University of North Texas, Southern Methodist University, Texas A&M University, University of Kentucky, Grossmont College, and the University of Virginia. The annual event was held at the Virginia Polo Center, Home of the University of Virginia Polo Team, in Charlottesville, VA, and will be aired on ESPNU as an extension of the historic relationship between U.S. Polo Assn. and ESPN.
The most celebrated tournament for Division I Collegiate Polo in the United States included support from U.S. Polo Assn.’s nationwide Collegiate Partnership Program (CPP), available to all colleges and universities with a USPA-sanctioned collegiate polo team and lasts for one academic year. This is the sixth consecutive year for this program, where participating teams range from East to West Coast and include small private and large public institutions, as well as Ivy League and Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs).
“Supporting the next generation of polo players and future leaders in the National Intercollegiate Championship is yet another example of our authentic connection to the sport of polo and our dedication to promoting the sport at all levels,” said J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global, the company that manages the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand. “We’re proud of our partnership with ESPN, which allows us to bring the sport of polo to millions of sports fans around the world, including the 2024 Division I Women’s and Men’s NIC Finals.”
The 2024 USPA Intercollegiate/Interscholastic (I/I) Program is dedicated to growing the sport of polo through future generations in the United States. In addition to the Division I Finals, the 2024 Division II Women’s and Men’s National Intercollegiate Championship Finals were played on Saturday, April 6, with Colorado State University winning the Women’s Division against runner-up Grossmont College, and Cornell University winning the Men’s Division against Georgetown University. The final contenders for the Women’s Division included Colorado State University, Grossmont College, Texas Tech University, Cornell University, and University of Wisconsin-Madison and the final contenders for the Men’s Division included Cornell University, Georgetown University, Stanford University, and Texas Tech University.
“Congratulations to all the participants in the Finals of the NIC and all other teams who competed throughout another amazing season of collegiate polo. The success of our student-athletes and their equine partners plays a pivotal role in the growth of the sport of polo,” said Liz Brayboy, Chair of the USPA’s Intercollegiate/Interscholastic (I/I) Committee. “With the support of U.S. Polo Assn. for the sixth consecutive year, we are fortunate for the dedication to developing future athletes of the game and the fantastic exposure our college polo teams receive on ESPN platforms.”
The USPA and U.S. Polo Assn. congratulate all 2024 Division I and Division II Women’s and Men’s National Intercollegiate Championship (NIC) participants.
About U.S. Polo Assn. and USPA Global
U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the governing body for the sport of polo in the United States and one of the country’s oldest sports governing bodies, founded in 1890. With a multi-billion-dollar global footprint and worldwide distribution through more than 1,100 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores as well as thousands of additional points of distribution, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel, accessories, and footwear for men, women, and children in more than 190 countries worldwide. A recent, multi-year deal with ESPN to broadcast several of the premier polo championships in the world, sponsored by U.S. Polo Assn., has made the thrilling sport accessible to millions of sports fans globally for the very first time.
U.S. Polo Assn. has consistently been named one of the top global sports licensors alongside the NFL, NBA, and MLB, according to License Global. In addition, the sport-inspired brand is being recognized around the world with awards for global growth, expansion, licensing, and digital growth. Due to its tremendous success as a global brand, particularly in the last five years, U.S. Polo Assn. has been featured in Forbes, Fortune, Modern Retail, and GQ, as well as on Yahoo Finance and Bloomberg, among many other noteworthy media sources around the world.
For more information, visit uspoloassnglobal.com and follow @uspoloassn.
USPA Global is a subsidiary of the USPA and manages the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand, providing the sport with a long-term source of revenue. Through its subsidiary, Global Polo Entertainment (GPE), USPA Global also manages Global Polo TV, which provides sports and lifestyle content. For more sports content, visit globalpolo.com.
About the United States Polo Association® (USPA)
The United States Polo Association was organized and exists for the purposes of promoting the game of polo, coordinating the activities of its Member Clubs and Registered Players, arranging and supervising polo tournaments, competitions, and games, and providing rules, handicaps, and conditions for those tournaments, competitions, and games including the safety and welfare of participants and mounts. Founded in 1890, the USPA is the national governing body for the sport of polo. The USPA is currently comprised of almost 200 member clubs with thousands of individual members and oversees 40 national tournaments. For more information, please visit uspolo.org.
Source: USPA Global Licensing Inc.
