A total of 30 colleges have signed up to participate, representing a record 48 collegiate teams with 28 women's teams and 20 men's teams. The teams span from east coast to west coast and include small private and large public institutions as well as Ivy League and HBCU universities. New schools joining the program this year include Southern Methodist University, Trinity University, University of Idaho, and UC Davis.
Through this program, U.S. Polo Assn. will provide student-athletes with complete game attire that includes performance team jerseys, white playing pants, polo shirts, caps and equipment gear bags as well as a monetary donation. There will also be a "Collegiate Content Contest" where teams will have the opportunity to win additional prizes for their creative social media posts.
Sanctioned by the USPA, collegiate polo teams compete in the fall and spring with the official season beginning September 2021 and running through April 2022. This season will conclude with the 100th Anniversary of the National Intercollegiate Championship (NIC) hosted at the Virginia Polo Center in Charlottesville, VA, from April 4-9, 2022. The NIC will air live on Global Polo TV (GPTV), the epicenter for polo content and live games around the world. The Men's and Women's Finals will also air on ESPN University, for the first time ever, in April 2022.
Participating Schools Include:
Cal Poly Polo Club
Skidmore College
UC Davis
University of Texas
Colorado State University
Southern Methodist University
University of California Santa Barbara
University of Virginia
Michigan State University
St. Edward's University
University of Connecticut
USC Aiken
Montana State
Stanford University
University of Idaho
Virginia Tech
Morehouse College
Texas A&M
University of Kentucky
Westmont College
Oklahoma State University
Texas Christian University
University of Massachusetts
Yale University
Oregon State University
Texas Tech
University of Michigan
Roger Williams University
Trinity University
University of North Texas
"As the official brand of the United States Polo Association, U.S. Polo Assn. is proud to give back to student-athletes through the Collegiate Partnership Program," said J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global Licensing, which manages the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand. "Now in its fourth year, the CPP is growing the sport for future generations of leaders by supporting a record number of teams and players who leave it all on the field, and in the classroom."
"We are excited to partner again with U.S. Polo Assn. as we kick off another great year of collegiate polo," said Liz Brayboy, Chair of the USPA's Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Committee. "We will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of intercollegiate/interscholastic polo in the United States in 2022 and are proud to have the support of the global apparel brand, U.S. Polo Assn., to help us grow players and programs across the country."
About U.S. Polo Assn.
U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the nonprofit 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 1,200 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores, department stores, 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 194 countries worldwide. Ranked the fifth largest sports licensor in License Global magazine's 2020 list of "Top 150 Global Licensors," U.S. Polo Assn. is named alongside such iconic sports brands as the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. Visit uspoloassnglobal.com and @uspoloassn. For more polo 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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For further information contact:
Shannon Stilson - AVP, Marketing
Phone +001.561.227.6994 - Email: [email protected]
Stacey Kovalsky - Senior Director, Global Communications
Phone +001.561.790.8036 - Email: [email protected]