Michigan State University has embraced this niche but highly competitive sport as part of USA Ultimate’s college division. The team currently ranks 47th nationally out of 346 Division I programs.

MSU Ultimate President Marc Canellas-Salles has played for the team since his freshman year two years ago but has been throwing a frisbee since childhood. Many MSU Ultimate players are roommates, and Canellas-Salles said they spend time together even off the field.

"When I started, you could see some of the guys that had never played including myself," said Canellas-Salles. "It's cool to see how we’ve been finding our roles and how we're improving all together. All my friends are frisbee players, so we're all tight and we hang out, some of us every day."

MSU Ultimate is comprised of three teams: Moose, its women’s team, Riot, the developmental men’s team and ARC, a competitive men’s team that travels the country. On Wednesday nights from 10-12 p.m. you can find all three teams honing their craft at the Tom Izzo Football Building.

Like most MSU teams, Michigan is their top rival. At No. 27 in the country, Michigan is a good opponent for ARC, and Canellas-Salles ensures that the matchup is circled on the calendar every year. 

"Every Michigan State athlete’s favorite time, for any sport, is playing Michigan," said Canellas-Salles. "My best memory is when we beat Michigan my freshman year."

One ARC member holds dual citizenship in Ireland and the United States. Senior Captain Will Zamsky has deeply inserted himself into the world of Ultimate. 

Zamsky was recently invited to try out for Team USA, one of the most competitive Ultimate teams in the world. He fell short of the national team in the States, but Team Ireland took him in based on recommendations from Team USA alone.

"I contacted team Ireland due to my dual citizenship and they took me onto the team without requiring a tryout, [and accepted me] just from my recommendations and watching my game film."

This summer, Zamsky will represent Ireland in the World Flying Disc Federation’s World Games in Logroño, Spain.

"It was a cool experience; I didn't end up making the team, but it brought my confidence up and let me bring high-intensity plays to MSU while bringing the team to a high level," Zamsky said. "The whole experience helps."

ARC is led by head coaches Dan Donovan and Mark Whitton. Donovan has coached the team since 2016, while Whitton joined three years ago. After graduating from Grand Valley State University in 2019, Whitton said he’s had a great experience with ARC.

"It's been fun to watch all of them grow up from little 18-year-old kids to adults that are about to enter the workforce, and watching them grow the whole time with frisbee," Whitton said. "They're completely different kids. They've had their whole college experience, and they've grown a lot as players and individuals."

Canellas-Salles said MSU Ultimate is always ready for their next player to sign up. He encourages everyone to join especially those with an athletic background. 

"You don't need any prior experience to play, we can teach you literally everything," said Canellas-Salles. "I showed up not being able to throw a frisbee more than 10 yards, and now my position is throwing. People sometimes are scared to join because they've never played, we can always teach you."

Last season, ARC boasted an 18-4 record. The team finished second in their conference tournament and moved on to compete in the USA Ultimate D-1 Regionals where they finished fifth out of 16 teams.

ARC’s season is just beginning. On Feb. 15-16, the team will travel to North Carolina for the Queen City Tune-Up, hosted by UNC.