The Ultimate Players Association was founded in 1979 by Tom Kennedy of the Santa Barbara Condors alongside longtime leaders of the sport Irv Kalb, Larry Schindel, Michelle Pezzoli, Dan Roddick and others. The UPA was formed to regulate and codify the sport in North America outside of its primarily East Coast-orientation and IFA affiliation. The UPA administered the rules of the game, tournament structure to produce a national champion, and the structure to maintain and grow the sport.
One of the first things the UPA did was create the “50 States” discs with special printings for each of the five regions at the time. The discs were made and sold as a fundraising tool for the new organization. Subsequent UPA discs were also made to generate revenue.
In 2010 the UPA renamed to USA Ultimate to match other sports Non-Governmental Bodies (NGBs) and serve as the acting body for the sport in the United States. With other forms of revenue, mostly dues, subsequent USAU discs were made for other purposes such as marketing, promotions and holidays—and of course tournaments.
For UPA/USAU Tournament discs including the National Series structure of Sectionals, Regionals and Nationals, plus the Triple Crown Tour series that began in 2013, see the
Tournaments section.
UPA Masthead
