The 14 Open qualifying season is officially complete and now all eyes turn to the at-large selection process for USAV Nationals in Minneapolis. However, it wasn’t business as usual.
Coming into the season, there was uncertainty surrounding the size of the Open field. That’s because the schedule expanded to 13 qualifiers in 2026 and that made for the potential of 39 bids to be awarded. According to USAV’s manual, if all 39 went out, the field would then be expanded to 48 teams. If it fell short, the field would remain at 36 with the remaining spots filled through the at-large process.
In the end, 31 teams qualified outright, meaning I anticipate the field remaining at 36 and therefore only five at-larges handed out.
I identified 14 teams in the mix. While some are obviously going to have stronger cases than others, I did want to include teams that should at least be discussed even if I don’t think the odds of getting selected are high.
As always, there’s no perfect formula. And there does tend to be a couple teams I will overlook which could get the nod. Still, I’m confident of at least four, if not all five, selections coming from the group below. Also, I do my best to scour for all results and some might be missing but it gives a strong indication of how teams have fared against Open-qualified opponents.
Let’s break it down.
Tier 1: Leading Candidates
OT 14 Jody (7–6 vs Open Field)
One of the most complete and convincing résumés.
- Winning percentage: .538
- Finishes: 4th Big South; 7th Northern Lights; 15th Sunshine
OT improved as the season progressed and were right in the mix for a bid at Big South. Toss in the winning record against the field with two Top-10 finishes, and I’m certain OT gets picked.
***
SC Rockstar 14 Libby (10–10 vs Open Field)
This résumé jumps off the page.
- Matches vs Open: 20
- Top finishes: 3rd Northern Lights; 5th Boston; 6th PNQ
- Average finish: 4.7
There’s no real argument working against SC Rockstar. The 10 wins against the field is the most of the teams mentioned here, plus a .500 winning percentage. Then there’s the three Top-10 showings so I would consider this group as close to a lock as one team can be.
***
AP 14 Adidas (6–6 vs Open Field)
Balanced and reliable.
- Finishes: 5th Boston; 8th Far Western; 9th Lone Star
- Average finish: 7.3
Three Top-10 finishes and a .500 record. AP didn’t pile up as many matches against the field as SC Rockstar did, but all the same arguments hold true. Strong win percentage and high finishes. That’s exactly the kind of profile that typically gets rewarded.
***
WPVC 14 Armor Black (6–9 vs Open Field)
A strong mix of results and wins.
- Top finish: 4th Sunshine
- Other finishes: 9th NEQ; 13th Salt Lake
- Average finish: 8.7
WPVC was one victory away from qualifying outright at Sunshine. That’s not a for sure guarantee of being selected, but it never hurts a team’s case. With the respectable record against the field, I think WPVC gets the nod.
***
Tier 2: Strong Cases
Stars 14 Sean (4–3 vs Open Field)
The most intriguing wildcard.
- Winning percentage: .571 (best in the group)
- Finish: 5th Sunshine
Here’s the question: Is one qualifier enough? I don’t know if Stars even applied for an at-large. Clearly, the strength of schedule doesn’t match up with other hopefuls here, but going 4-3 against the field brings intrigue and speculation if this team would get selected or not.
***
Tier 3: Right on the Bubble
Absolute 14 Black (5–12 vs Open Field)
A perfect case of who knows?
- Top finishes: 4th PNQ; 5th Far Western; 6th Salt Lake
- Average finish: 5th
The finishes are certainly consistent and should Absolute get picked that will have been a big reason. The five victories against the field is on par with other candidates in this tier. However, with five spots, does Absolute get the call or not? Impossible to say either way.
***
Alamo 14 Premier (6–16 vs Open Field)
Loaded schedule, strong results.
- Top finishes: 3rd Northern Lights; 5th Sunshine; 6th Lone Star
- Matches vs Open: 22
I like when playing a strong schedule gets rewarded. Alamo did that with 22 matches against Open teams. Six wins is right there with others too. And the finishes? Alamo has those too. I’m not sure how you separate the argument between Absolute and Alamo? They are both very similar.
***
Sunshine 14 Westside (4-8, .333)
A case to be made.
- Best finish: 6th Red Rock
Sunshine is another team I consider to be on the bubble. Sunshine might be slightly below Absolute and Alamo, but did produce a respectable mark against Open teams. And does have a sixth-place finish at Red Rock to point to.
***
Tier 4: Outside Looking In
Skyline 14 Royal Josh (3–9 vs Open Field)
- Top finish: 5th Far Western
- Other finishes: 13th NEQ, 15th Show Me
Some flashes, but likely not enough consistency compared to others. With more spots available, Skyline Josh gets more consideration. But I’m not sure they are in the mix with five slots.
***
AZ Rev 14 Premier (4–11 vs Open Field)
- Top finish: 5th Windy City
- Average finish: 8.3
Another solid team, but likely not solid enough to grab one of the top five spots.
***
Club V 14 Prodigy Silver (2–15 vs Open Field)
- Top finishes: 4th Red Rock; 8th Salt Lake
- Average finish: 8.7
The finishes could give Club V an outside chance. But the record against the field does not help the argument.
***
Tier 5: Long Shots
Mintonette Sports m.41 (5–17 vs Open Field)
- Finishes: 7th Salt Lake; 8th Windy City; 11th Sunshine
Competitive, but five wins in 22 matches may not be enough with only five spots.
***
HPSTL 14 Royal (3–14 vs Open Field)
- Best finish: 5th Boston
- Average finish: 12th
Another club with a very strong schedule, but the results likely fall short of being picked.
***
HJV 14 Elite (3–17 vs Open Field)
- Best finish: 7th Lone Star
Same thing. HJV challenged itself with a very competitive schedule. Yet, it’s hard to make a case for HJV being picked ahead of others.
***
Final Takeaways
This is one of the tightest at-large races across any age group. I feel strong about the four leading candidates. But that still leaves one spot and I have no idea how to pick one more from a handful of teams that will feel like they deserve to be the one. So some deserving clubs are going to be left out, that’s the only guarantee here.
