DIVISION I MEN'S NATIONAL INTERCOLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIP
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The USPA Division I Men’s National Intercollegiate Championship (NIC) is part of the United States Polo Association's Intercollegiate/Interscholastic (I/I) polo program, which is dedicated to growing the sport by providing maximum exposure, recruiting collegiate and scholastic institutions, coordinating activities, and organizing competition. Supporting this mission, the I/I program has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, including the development of Division I and Division II polo, which increases the number of emerging teams competing in competitive games at every level.
Division assignments are based on the strength of teams as determined by rosters, a team's regular season scores, and the strength of their schedule. Men's and women's teams from the same school are not required to play in the same division, allowing teams to participate at an appropriate level. Teams are able to move back and forth between the divisions from year to year to accommodate for student matriculation and annual roster changes.
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. Celebrating its 100 year anniversary in 2022, the NIC provides an opportunity for collegiate players from all corners of the United States to come together and compete for the historic trophy.
Spanning decades of excellence, Yale University currently holds the record for the most NIC victories, collecting 19 titles from 1923 to 1986. University of California (UC Davis) dominated competition in the 80s, earning nine victories in fifteen years, including five consecutive (1981-1985) championships. Notable titleholders also include University of Virginia (UVA), earning 12 victories spanning from 1987 to 2022, with Cornell University and Texas A&M University close behind with 11 wins each.
In 2019, the men and women of Texas A&M University (TAMU) became the second team in history since the University of California Davis (UC Davis) in the 80s to complete a rare "double-double" (back-to-back victories from both the Division I teams) in the world of intercollegiate polo. In 2022 the men and women of University of Virginia (UVA) also earned double awards on home turf at Virginia Polo Inc. in Charlottesville, Virginia.
In 2023, defending champions University of Virginia (UVA) (Vlad Tarashansky, Jim Deal, Parker Pearce, Makhdum “Mak” Mourad Shah) faced University of North Texas (UNT) (Vance Miller III, John Dencker, Andrew Scott, Vaughn Miller Jr., Niklaus Felhaber) in a championship rematch. Hungry for redemption, UNT created an early lead and used field goal accuracy and physicality to maintain the advantage. UNT ahead by six moving into the final chukker, UVA attempted to mount a comeback, but it was too little too late. As the final horn sounded, UNT held a comfortable 14-9 lead, securing their first Division I National Intercollegiate Championship. Read article here.
Returning to Virginia Polo Inc., six teams will compete for the Division I Men's National Intercollegiate title including defending champions UNT. UVA will vie for their thirteenth title, as Texas A&M University (TAMU) seeks a return to the podium for the first time since 2019. Grossmont College, Southern Methodist University (SMU) and University of Kentucky (UK) round out the talented competition, each aiming for their first John R. Townsend trophy.
Photo: 2022 Division I Men's National Intercollegiate Championship winners: University of North Texas - Niklaus Felhaber, Vaughn Miller Jr., Coach Vaughn Miller Sr., Vance Miller, Andrew Scott, John Dencker. ©Oana Moore
