By Liam Real
The Georgia men’s ultimate frisbee team (Jojah) huddles together at the 2023 Classic City Classic (Photo courtesy: Gino Mattace)
The men’s and women’s Ultimate Frisbee club teams at Georgia are set to host the Classic City Classic on Nov. 9 and 10, welcoming schools from across the country to Athens for what has become a beloved tradition.
This year, teams like Texas and Colorado are traveling to compete. The Classic City Classic is split into two tournaments — one for men’s teams and one for women’s — allowing both Georgia clubs to showcase their skills while continuing this cherished tradition.
Both the men’s team Jojah and the women’s team Athena not only compete in the tournament, but also fully plan it each year. As an unsanctioned event, the Classic City Classic is student-run, which means Georgia team members are responsible for almost every aspect of the tournament, from recruiting teams and organizing schedules to painting lines on the intramural fields and setting up each playing area. This hands-on approach shows the dedication of UGA Ultimate players to keeping the tradition alive.
Jojah on my Mind
Captain of Jojah Sam Rose called the Classic City Classic “like a fall Nationals” because of the quality of teams coming to Athens for the tourney. There are a total of 16 teams competing this year. Including Jojah, 12 of those teams were at Nationals in Wisconsin last spring.
Scott Whitley, another captain of Jojah said that the teams Georgia invited this year are all “ “in most of our opinions Nationals caliber for this year.”
Whitley is confident that the level of talent in the field for this year’s tournament is going to be a sight to see. One of his favorite aspects of the tournament is getting to watch the other teams play. Whitley talked about how fall is a big time to prepare for the spring, which is when the sanctioned tournaments take place that get you ranked and can qualify you for Nationals.
“Fall is more for preparation stuff and just getting your rookies and all your younger players more used to the scene and getting a feel for the game,” Whitley said.
The tournament is a special event for current players and alumni alike. Rose, who is not only a captain but is also a planning board member, emphasized the tournament’s importance as a great tradition that connects current players with former players.
“Alumni love to come back for it,” Rose said. “It’s kind of a time when they come back to town to come to the tournament because they played in it.”
This connection shows the tournament’s place in UGA Ultimate’s history, as each new generation of players continues to build on the legacy left by those who came before.
All eyes on Athena; The Goddesses of Athens
Quincy Booth, one of the captains of the women’s team, also made it to nationals last spring. As far as the talent level for the women’s tourney, Booth said that “the men’s is definitely a lot more competitive.”
Athena always tries to invite teams that made Nationals the previous year, but they usually do not come. This year there was a big step forward, as Vermont and Texas joined the list of participating teams. According to the USAU rankings, Vermont is ranked No. 1 in Division I women’s frisbee. It is massive for the women’s tournament to add this talent to the roster for this year, as it will give Athena a valuable chance to test its skills.
As well as Jojah, Athena also likes to use this tournament as a way to develop the younger players and prepare for the spring.
“We get a lot of new players,” Booth said. “It’s the first time being able to play against other teams, especially higher level teams. We use it as more of a learning tournament.”
Booth talked about the community aspect of the tournament for the women. Booth spoke on how all the women’s players love to hang out during the weekend.
“The competition is fun, and then being able to hang out with your competitors is always a really great time,” Booth said.
Booth made it clear that there is a great community aspect every year for this tournament. Athena even invited all the women’s teams that travel, to a percentage night on Saturday, Nov. 10 at Athentic Brewing Co.
A Classic Start to a Promising Season
A tournament that started in the 1990s, is set for another installment on Nov. 9-10. As the new season begins and Athena and Jojah start the road to Nationals, this is the very first step for a long and promising season. The tournament will take place at the University of Georgia Intramural Fields starting Saturday morning.