ESPN to Air Women's and Men's Finals for United States Polo Association's National Intercollegiate Championship (NIC)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., April 18, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Representing the top-rated intercollegiate polo programs in the country, the 2023 Division I Women's and Men's National Intercollegiate Championship (NIC) Finals were played on Saturday, April 15, with Texas A&M University winning the Women's Division and the University of North Texas bringing home the victory for the Men's Division. The Women's and Men's Finals will air on Sunday, April 23, at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPNU. Check your local listings or click HERE for air times and channels.
U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), proudly outfitted 49 collegiate polo teams, of which 11 teams qualified to compete in the United States Polo Association's Division I National Intercollegiate Championships. The final contenders in the Women's Division included Texas A&M University, University of Virginia, University of Kentucky, Southern Methodist University, Cornell University, and University of South Carolina-Aiken, and the final contenders in the Men's Division included the University of North Texas, University of Virginia, Texas A&M University, Cornell University, and Southern Methodist University. The 101st Annual Event was held at the Virginia Polo Center in Charlottesville, VA.
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. Through the CPP, U.S. Polo Assn. provided student-athletes from a total of 30 colleges with complete game attire throughout the official 2022-2023 polo season. This is the fifth consecutive year for this program, where 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).
The 2023 USPA Intercollegiate/Interscholastic (I/I) Program is dedicated to growing the sport of polo through future generations in the United States. For the second year in a row, the Women's and Men's Finals will be aired on ESPNU as an extension of the historic relationship with ESPN, which highlights the student-athletes and the sport of polo on a collegiate level.
"U.S. Polo Assn. is proud to once again support the National Intercollegiate Championship through the U.S. Polo Assn. Collegiate Partnership Program and to continue to bring awareness to the 101-year-old National Intercollegiate Program that serves so many student-athletes," said J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global Licensing, which manages the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand. "Not to mention, our ability to continue promoting the sport of polo at the collegiate and professional levels to sports fans around the world on ESPN platforms for the first time in the sport's history."
Support from U.S. Polo Assn.'s Collegiate Partnership Program includes customized performance team jerseys, white performance pants, polo shirts, caps, and equipment gear bags as well as a monetary donation for a total of 49 collegiate teams throughout the country. New to this year's polo kit are USPA Pro items, the sports performance product line, which is uniquely designed in collaboration with professional polo players for the highest level of performance on the field.
"The Finals of the NIC represent the end to another great season of collegiate polo, and we are so proud of our student-athletes for their efforts this year. We also want to recognize the horses - our equine athlete partners make it all possible," said Liz Brayboy, Chair of the USPA's Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Committee. "We are incredibly fortunate to have the support of U.S. Polo Assn. for the fifth year in a row. In addition, the exposure our college polo teams receive on ESPN platforms is amazing for both the sport and our players."
In addition, the 2023 Division II Women's and Men's National Intercollegiate Championship Finals were played on Sunday, April 2, with California Polytechnic State University winning the Women's Division and Babson College bringing home the victory for the Men's Division. The final contenders for the Women's Division included University of Connecticut, Oklahoma State University, University of California Davis, and University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the final contenders for the Men's Division included University of Kentucky, Stanford University, Texas Tech University, and California Polytechnic State University.
The USPA and U.S. Polo Assn. congratulate all 2023 Division I and Division II Women's and Men's National Intercollegiate Championship (NIC) participants.
About U.S. Polo Assn. and USPA Global Licensing Inc. (USPAGL)
U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the non-profit governing body for the sport of polo in the United States and one of the oldest sports governing bodies, having been founded in 1890. With a multi-billion-dollar global footprint and worldwide distribution through some 1,100 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores and thousands of department stores as well as sporting goods channels, independent retailers and e-commerce, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel for men, women, and children, as well as accessories and footwear in more than 190 countries worldwide. U.S. Polo Assn. was named one of the top five sports licensors in 2022, according to License Global. Visit uspoloassnglobal.com and follow @uspoloassn.
USPA Global Licensing Inc. (USPAGL) is the for-profit subsidiary of the USPA and its exclusive worldwide licensor. USPAGL manages the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand and is the steward of the USPA's intellectual properties, providing the sport with a long-term source of revenue. Through its subsidiary, Global Polo Entertainment (GPE), USPAGL also manages Global Polo TV, which provides polo, sport and lifestyle content. A historic, multi-year, global arrangement has been signed by USPAGL and ESPN for the world's leading sports content provider to air seven of the top final polo games in the U.S., allowing millions of sports fans and consumers to enjoy the sport across ESPN's broadcast and streaming platforms. For more sport 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.
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Additional Photos on Request. Photo Credits: Oana Photo
For Further Information, Contact:
Shannon Stilson - VP, Sports Marketing & Media
Phone +001.561.227.6994 - Email: sstilson@uspagl.com
Stacey Kovalsky - Senior Director, Global Communications
Phone +001.561.790.8036 - Email: skovalsky@uspagl.com
Source: U.S. Polo Assn.
