The NCAA began conducting a men’s soccer national championship tournament in 1959 with an eight-team tournament. Currently, the tournament field consists of 48 teams. In 1972, the Division II tournament was added, and in 1974, the Division III tournament began. Saint Louis (10 titles), Indiana (7 titles), and Virginia (5 titles) have historically been the most successful Division I schools. 

The semifinals and finals of the Division I championship, for both men and women, are also known as the College Cup. 

Championship formats 

All three NCAA divisions use a slightly different structure and selection criteria for their tournaments. 

Division I 

The NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship is a 48-team, single-elimination tournament. 23 spots are reserved for the winners of automatic bids. Conferences granted automatic qualification are: 

    * America East Conference

    * Atlantic Coast Conference

    * Atlantic Soccer Conference

    * Atlantic Sun Conference

    * Atlantic 10 Conference

    * Big East Conference

    * Big South Conference

    * Big Ten Conference

    * Big West Conference

    * Colonial Athletic Association

    * Conference USA

    * Horizon League

    * Ivy Group

    * Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

    * Mid-American Conference

    * Missouri Valley Conference

    * Mountain Pacific Sports Federation

    * Northeast Conference

    * Pacific Ten Conference

    * Patriot League

    * Southern Conference

    * The Summit League

    * West Coast Conference 

Each conference determines the format for their conference championship, which determines the school who receives the automatic bid. Many use conference tournaments, although some conferences award the championship and automatic bid to the regular season champion. The remaining 25 teams have received at-large bids. The at-large teams are selected by a committee consisting of representatives from each of the eight regions the NCAA has divided the country into. The committee uses a number of criteria, the most influential being the Ratings Percentage Index, a mathematical formula designed to objectively compare the results and strength of schedule of all Division I teams. 2005 NCAA D-I Men’s Soccer Handbook 

The top 16 teams are seeded into the bracket and receive first round byes. The other 32 are grouped by geographical proximity. The first four rounds are played on campus sites, with matches being hosted by the higher seed. The College Cup, comprising the semifinal and final matches, is played at a predetermined site. The 2005 College Cup was hosted by SAS Soccer Park, in Cary, North Carolina. In 2006, the College Cup was played at Hermann Stadium on the campus of Saint Louis University, and the event will return to SAS Soccer Park in 2007. 

Division II 

The NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Championship is a 24-team, single-elimination tournament. The Division II tournament is structured around the eight NCAA regions (Great Lakes, Appalachian, South, Southeast, Midwest, Far West, Northeast, and New England). Three teams from each region are selected, with the top team in each region receiving a first round bye. The selection criteria used is similar to that used in Division I, although one difference is that the RPI is replaced with the Quality of Winning Percentage Index, a more subjective measure. 

The first three rounds are played on campus sites with the higher seed hosting the match. The winners of each region meet in the quarterfinals. The final two rounds are played at a predetermined campus site. In 2005, the Division II semifinals and final were held at MSU Soccer Field, at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. In 2006, the semifinals and final will be held at the UWF Soccer Complex, on the campus of the University of West Florida, in Pensacola, FL.

Division III 

The NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship is the largest of the three, with the most complicated selection process. The tournament is a 57-team, single-elimination tournament. Teams are divided into three pools. Pool A consists of the 36 conference champions, who all receive automatic bids to the tournament. Pool B consists of all teams which are not in conferences or are in conferences which do not meet the requirements to be awarded an automatic bid. Four teams are selected from Pool B. Pool C consists of all the other teams, plus those Pool B teams not already selected. 17 teams are selected from Pool C. The seven highest teams receive first round byes, and the rest of the bracket is filled by geographical proximity. The first two rounds of the championship are played at campus sites with the higher seeded team hosting the match. The next two rounds are group by four-team sites, with the highest seed acting as host. The semifinals and finals are played at a predetermined campus site. The 2005 Division III final rounds were played at Macpherson Stadium at Bryan Park, at Greensboro College in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 2006, the finals will be hosted by the Sunshine State Conference, a Division II athletic conference, at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, FL.

Division I

Championship games 

Year

Winner

Score

Opponent

City

Venue

 

 

 

 

 

 

1959

Saint Louis

5-2

Bridgeport

Storrs, Connecticut

Memorial Stadium

1960

Saint Louis

3-2

Maryland

Brooklyn, New York

 

1961

West Chester

2-0

Saint Louis

St. Louis, Missouri

 

1962

Saint Louis

4-3

Maryland

St. Louis, Missouri

 

1963

Saint Louis

3-0

Navy

East Brunswick, New Jersey

 

1964

Navy

1-0

Michigan State

Providence, Rhode Island

 

1965

Saint Louis

1-0

Michigan State

St. Louis, Missouri

 

1966

San Francisco

5-2

Long Island

Berkeley, California

 

1967

Michigan State*

0-0

 

St. Louis, Missouri

 

  “

Saint Louis*

 “

 

 “     “

 

1968

Maryland**

2-2 (2OT)

 

Atlanta, Georgia

 

  “

Michigan State**

 “

 

  “     “

 

1969

Saint Louis

4-0

San Francisco

San Jose, California

 

1970

Saint Louis

1-0

UCLA

Edwardsville, Illinois

Ralph Korte Stadium

1971

Howard***

3-2

Saint Louis

Miami, Florida

 

1972

Saint Louis

4-2

UCLA

Miami, Florida

 

1973

Saint Louis

3-2 (OT)

UCLA

Miami, Florida

 

1974

Howard

2-1 (4OT)

Saint Louis

St. Louis, Missouri

 

1975

San Francisco

4-0

SIU-Edwardsville

Edwardsville, Illinois

Ralph Korte Stadium

1976

San Francisco

1-0

Indiana

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 

1977

Hartwick

2-1

San Francisco

Berkeley, California

 

1978

San Francisco***

2-0

Indiana

Tampa, Florida

 

1979

SIU-Edwardsville

3-2

Clemson

Tampa, Florida

 

1980

San Francisco

4-3 (OT)

Indiana

Tampa, Florida

 

1981

Connecticut

2-1 (OT)

Alabama A&M

Palo Alto, California

 

1982

Indiana

2-1 (8OT)

Duke

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Lockhart Stadium

1983

Indiana

1-0 (2OT)

Columbia

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Lockhart Stadium

1984

Clemson

2-1

Indiana

Seattle, Washington

 

1985

UCLA

1-0 (8OT)

American

Seattle, Washington

 

1986

Duke

1-0

Akron

Tacoma, Washington

 

1987

Clemson

2-0

San Diego State

Clemson, South Carolina

Riggs Field

1988

Indiana

1-0

Howard

Bloomington, Indiana

Bill Armstrong Stadium

1989

Santa Clara*

1-1 (2OT)

 

Piscataway, New Jersey

Rutgers Stadium

 

Virginia*

  “

 

  “      “

 

1990

UCLA

0-0 (4OT, PK)

Rutgers

Tampa, Florida

USF Soccer Stadium

1991

Virginia

0-0

Santa Clara

Tampa, Florida

USF Soccer Stadium

1992

Virginia

2-0

San Diego

Davidson, North Carolina

Richardson Stadium

1993

Virginia

2-0

South Carolina

Davidson, North Carolina

Richardson Stadium

1994

Virginia

1-0

Indiana

Davidson, North Carolina

Richardson Stadium

1995

Wisconsin

2-0

Duke

Richmond, Virginia

Richmond Stadium

1996

St. John’s

4-1

Florida Int’l

Richmond, Virginia

Richmond Stadium

1997

UCLA

2-0

Virginia

Richmond, Virginia

Richmond Stadium

1998

Indiana

3-1

Stanford

Richmond, Virginia

Richmond Stadium

1999

Indiana

1-0

Santa Clara

Charlotte, North Carolina

Bank of America Stadium

2000

UConn

2-0

Creighton

Charlotte, North Carolina

Bank of America Stadium

2001

North Carolina

2-0

Indiana

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus Crew Stadium

2002

UCLA

1-0

Stanford

Dallas, Texas

Gerald J. Ford Stadium

2003

Indiana

2-1

St. John’s

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus Crew Stadium

2004

Indiana

1-1 (2OT, PK)

UC Santa Barbara

Carson, California

Home Depot Center

2005

Maryland

1-0

New Mexico

Cary, North Carolina

SAS Soccer Park

2006

UC Santa Barbara

2-1

UCLA

St. Louis, Missouri

Hermann Stadium

2007

 

 

 

Cary, North Carolina

SAS Soccer Park

2008