History

Darkside began in the fall of 1993 when a couple of freshmen at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill got together with the idea of forming an Ultimate Frisbee team.  From these humble beginnings, grew one of the nation’s strongest Ultimate programs.  In 1996, Darkside qualified for its first-ever UPA Regional tournament.  In the spring of 1999, Darkside had its first berth at Nationals.  In 2000, the team won Sectionals and Regionals on the way to their second Nationals bid.  With so much interest in the growing sport of ultimate on UNC’s campus, Darkside created a B team (B-atCH) in the late 90s. In 2012 B-atCH started their own club organization.

In 2001, Darkside battled hard and again qualified for Nationals, establishing itself as a perennial Ultimate powerhouse. 2002 was a rebuilding year, and despite the efforts of its Callahan Award nominee Rhett Nichols and arguably the most talented rookie class in the nation, Darkside failed to qualify for Nationals in Spokane, WA.  Darkside made regionals 6 more times in the 2000s, including qualifying for Nationals in 2005 and 2007.

In 2012, Darkside started a run of 12 straight Nationals appearances, taking home the National Championship in 2015, led by Darkside’s first Callahan Award winner, Jonathan Nethercutt.

In the years following its inaugural championship, Darkside has not only returned to Nationals but has continued to grow its impressive streak of 10 consecutive appearances in the national semi-finals, dating back to 2014. Darkside added another National Championship title in 2018 on the back of stymying defense and the cool-headed leadership of eventual Callahan Award winner Matt Gouchoe-Hanas.

Since the program’s second title in 2018, Darkside has established itself as a perennial powerhouse, appearing in the national final in 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. By winning three consecutive National Championships from 2021-2023, Darkside became the 3rd men’s college team ever to three-peat and cemented its status as a college ultimate dynasty.

Beyond these on-field accomplishments exists a collection of upstanding young men. Darkside is best described as a group of gentlemen whose commitment to improving their disc skills and athletic ability is only outweighed by their commitment to the team and each other. Through hours of practicing and competing with one another, a tight-knit sense of brotherhood is not just commonplace – it’s inevitable.

Competitors, teammates, gentlemen, brothers – This is Darkside.