AMHERST — After two years away from home, the Amherst Invitational is finally back in the city of Amherst this weekend.

Previously held at The MacDuffie School in Granby, one of the largest and most prestigious ultimate tournaments will be played on the fields outside of McGuirk Alumni Stadium on the campus of UMass.

A total of 32 teams across four divisions – two boys, two girls – come from all over the country for a full day of games on both Saturday and Sunday. This year marks the 31st edition of the tournament, which is a record nationally.

“It’s the oldest annual high school tournament in the country,” Amherst boys varsity head coach Joe Costello said. “That’s part of the charm. It’s been a staple of the Amherst ultimate community for a really long time, and in the wider scope of the sport, it’s one of those really important youth events that has evolved over many decades.”

Teams from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., New York and a plethora from New England will gather for nearly 10-hour days at UMass, starting at 8 a.m. and ending sometime after 5 p.m., Costello predicts.

Over 100 people volunteer – doing a variety of different tasks – to make the weekend run smoothly.

“A lot of teams that have come in the past always say that it’s the best experience they’ve had in a high school tournament,” Costello said. “I think that speaks to the many people that volunteer to make it great. It’s certainly felt by those who come participate.”

As for local teams, Amherst has entered its girls and boys varsity and junior varsity teams in the boys (Open) and girls (Gx) Division 1 and Division 2 slots, and also entered its boys middle school program in the Open Division 2 – good for a total of five teams.

Northampton’s girls varsity team is currently ranked No. 17 in the country and is one of the favorites to win the Gx Division 1 tournament this weekend. The Blue Devils also have their JV program competing in Gx Division 2. Greenfield’s Four Rivers girls varsity checks in at No. 18 in the country, right behind Northampton. If the two western Mass. teams meet up it could make for an exciting game.

In total, there are seven nationally ranked programs out of the 32 coming to Amherst this weekend, and several more looking to jump in the top 25 with high finishes in the tournament.

“I don’t know how we’re going to do, we’re trying to not have too many expectations, but I do know the Open Division 1 is more competitive than it was last year,” Costello said. “That’s really exciting for everyone to get those games in. And on the girls side, it’s even more competitive than the boys. There are a lot of really good nationally ranked teams. Division 1 on both sides this year should be super fun to watch.”

About a decade and a half ago, Costello coached a JV team at the 15th annual Amherst Invitational. Costello thought the tournament was unique and unlike anything he had ever seen before back then, and he used to think 15 years was a long time for an annual event.

Fast forward over double the years, and now he’s coaching Amherst varsity, and the tournament has evolved even more on a national scale.

It truly is one of the best annual spring sporting events around, according to Costello.

“I remember thinking, ‘Wow, 15 years, that’s amazing,’ and that was when I was in my mid-20s,” Costello said. “Now I’m 40 and we’re at our 31st Amherst Invitational. I’ve seen so many competitive tournaments, and it’s fun to see the evolution. I’ve been a varsity coach for 11 years, and this is the third location. It feels really exciting in our community to have the tournament back in Amherst.”

While the Amherst Invitational certainly has a positive impact on the community around the Valley, it has an even bigger influence on the ultimate community as a whole.

For two straight days people from different backgrounds and experiences who share the same love and passion for a sport come to one spot and dedicate a weekend to it.

The connections and memories made are second to none.

“One thing I love about the Amherst Invitational is it does feel like home, and that’s easy to say as an Amherst coach, but we’ve gotten that feedback from teams that come from across the country,” Costello said. “What I really enjoy is being able to talk with these other teams and build those connections and share experiences together. We’re fortunate to be able to do this every year.”