USA Ultimate Relocates National Headquarters to Colorado Springs

USA Ultimate, the national governing body for the sport of ultimate in the United States and member of the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), announced the relocation of its national headquarters to Colorado Springs.

Often referred to as the "America's Olympic City," Colorado Springs is home to the USOC, plus 23 national governing bodies (NGBs) of sport and 58 national or international sports organizations.

"We are very pleased that USA Ultimate will be making their home in Colorado Springs," proclaimed Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach. "America's 'Olympic City' has a deep connection to the world's finest athletes, and this energetic sport will find many new fans here in the Pikes Peak region. We heartily welcome another member of the U.S. Olympic Committee."

Thanks to the generous support of the El Pomar Foundation, combined with the collective efforts of the City of Colorado Springs, the Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance, the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation and the USOC, USA Ultimate has secured 7,500 square feet of new office space on the city's northwest side, sharing the USA Triathlon building. USA Ultimate's new national headquarters is located near a cluster of other NGBs, including USA Basketball, USA Volleyball, USA Wrestling and USA Cycling.

William J. Hybl, CEO and Chairman of the El Pomar Foundation and President Emeritus of the U.S. Olympic Committee stated, "Thanks to the good work of organizations like the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation and others committed to building on our city's passion for sport, the Trustees are pleased to welcome USA Ultimate to Colorado Springs."

"One of the key factors for USA Ultimate deciding to relocate to Colorado Springs was the excitement around the City for Champions (C4C) project," added Tom Osborne, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation. Having USA Ultimate relocate to Colorado Springs is a perfect example of the byproduct of C4C."

The need for a new and larger national office became apparent following the significant growth both the sport of ultimate and the national governing body have experienced in recent years. Following a two-year, highly competitive search and bid process, and after USA Ultimate became a member of the USOC earlier this year, the decision was made to strategically relocate USA Ultimate's headquarters just 100 miles south of its current location in Boulder.

Colorado Springs was one of several communities considered throughout the process, and following careful evaluation of the various options and opportunities presented to USA Ultimate, the support of community organizations and leaders, as well as the prospect of strengthening USA Ultimate's alignment within the Olympic movement, the choice was an easy one.

"This announcement continues to further validate and strengthen Colorado Springs' position as the top sports economy in the nation," said Tom Neppl, Chairman of the Board, Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance. "The Business Alliance is delighted to have assisted USA Ultimate through this process and are excited to welcome them back home to Colorado Springs."

"The sport of ultimate has really taken off, and we can't wait to see it grow in our vibrant, active community," stated Rick Adams, USOC Chief of Paralympic Sport and NGB Organizational Development. "Soon, USA Ultimate will be sparking new passions and increasing knowledge of the game in Colorado Springs, and we're thrilled to see that unfold. We look forward to working together to achieve the brightest possible future for the sport of ultimate and are excited to welcome USA Ultimate to our hometown."

Founded in 1979, USA Ultimate is the largest flying disc organization in the world with more than 50,000 members. And as the national governing body for the last 35 years, USA Ultimate has consistently guided the sport through steady growth, specifically within the last few years when milestones included a Sports and Fitness Industry Association study that cited ultimate as one of the fastest-growing sports in America with more than five million active players; USA Ultimate becoming a member of the USOC and striking a four-year broadcast deal with ESPN to air its major events; and the number of colleges and universities fielding teams competing in USA Ultimate's championship series surpassing 750.

"USA Ultimate is the leading organization driving the explosive growth of ultimate in the United States," explained USA Ultimate Board of Directors President Mike Payne. "As the longest-tenured, best-resourced and most influential body in the sport, we owe it to our members and partners to ensure that USA Ultimate's staff, consultants and volunteers are the best in the sports business. Colorado Springs is chock-full of this expertise, and we're excited to see what happens to our sport as we take greater advantage of that expertise. As an added bonus, our new proximity to the USOC and other Olympic NGBs and sport organizations promises better media visibility and sponsorship opportunities for ultimate."

Colorado Springs previously served as the home of USA Ultimate from 1992-2002 before the organization's headquarters were relocated to Boulder.

"We're very excited about our upcoming move to "America's Olympic City," commented USA Ultimate Chief Executive Officer Dr. Tom Crawford. "This move allows us to leverage our location for all kinds of support and education for our staff, including many seminars on best practices that occur constantly amongst our friends and colleagues in the Olympic movement and sporting community, not to mention all of the USOC expertise. One great example of this is the recent invitation we received to demonstrate and teach ultimate to dozens of senior high-performance executives at the USOC at their annual high-performance retreat. That will be fun! This is a very strategic and exciting development for our organization and the sport of ultimate, and I'm extremely proud and honored that our entire dedicated, loyal and experienced staff will be making the transition to Colorado Springs."

USA Ultimate will officially move into its new headquarters on January 9, 2015.

About USA Ultimate:  USA Ultimate is a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) as a Recognized Sport Organization and serves as the national governing body for the sport of ultimate in the United States. USA Ultimate is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with its national headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo. Founded in 1979 as the Ultimate Players Association, USA Ultimate is the largest flying disc organization in the world with more than 50,000 members, including athletes, coaches and observers. USA Ultimate's mission is to "Advance the sport of ultimate in the United States by enhancing and promoting Character, Community and Competition." The Sports and Fitness Industry Association recently cited ultimate as one of the fastest-growing team sports in America with more than five million active players.

USA Ultimate's largest segment is its college division, with colleges and universities fielding more than 860 teams that compete in a nationwide postseason championship series and nationally televised championship event. Currently, USA Ultimate administers the full spectrum of ultimate in the U.S. and hosts 11 major events annually, including regional and national championships and an international-level event, the U.S. Open. Governed by a core principle called "Spirit of the Game,"™ ultimate is proud of its heritage and continuing practice of being a self-officiated sport with an extraordinarily high level of sportsmanship from grassroots recreational play to elite-level international competition. The sport of ultimate was invented in 1968 by students at Columbia High School in Maplewood, N.J. and is now played worldwide in three major disciplines - grass, beach and indoor. USA Ultimate is recognized by the World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) - the sport of ultimate's international federation and IOC member - and fields U.S. National Teams for international events, including junior, U-23, elite and masters world championships and the World Games.