The stage was set for a rematch, pitting the nation's two strongest teams - the 2006 and 2007 national champions - against each other to determine which would be crowned the No. 1 team in the country.
The UF men's Ultimate Frisbee team finished the 2008 season with a 38-2 record but fell 15-9 to defending champion Wisconsin in the UPA Open College Championship in Boulder, Colo., on May 18.
UF defeated North Texas, Delaware, Illinois, Arizona and Carleton College to set up the championship game with the Wisconsin Hodags - a rematch of the 2006 UPA Open College Championship, which UF won.
Eight of the players on this year's team were also on the 2006 team, the school's first Ultimate Frisbee national champions. UF won the 2006 championship game against Wisconsin 15-12.
Kurt Gibson, a UF graduate and one of the team's two captains, said fewer than 10 people, mostly family and friends, showed up to support the team in Boulder, Colo. He said that a small number of fans is common for most schools, but Wisconsin always brings a huge group of fans.
Despite the loss, this season was an overall success for UF. The team won the Centex tournament at the University of Texas at Austin. UF had never won the tournament entering this season, falling short in a 15-14 loss to Wisconsin in 2006.
"We played Wisconsin, Colorado and North Carolina right in a row," Gibson said. "It was a great feat because we had never won that tournament before."
Gibson added that the team performed well despite its relatively small roster. Most teams have 20 to 25 players and large rotations, but UF had only 17 players on the roster.
"We played a tight rotation, using mostly nine or 10 guys in games," Gibson said. "We are a top-heavy team that consists of experienced players but also some sophomores and juniors that were not on the championship team in 2006."
The Ultimate Frisbee team is a club sport and is not recognized or funded by the athletic department. Gibson said that the team has a budget of about $2,000, and the rest comes out of the players' pockets. He explained that it added up to a good deal of money, but it was all worth it.
The separation also means that the team had to represent UF without using the school's signature mascot and team name.
"We can't use the Gators as our mascot," Gibson said. "We have to just go by Florida. Some other schools make up names for themselves, but we take pride in representing our school."
About nine players from this year's team will return next year, but the core group will be leaving, and the returning players will have to step into the openings created by those who are graduating.
