ncaa soccer

NCAA Men's Soccer ChampionshipThe 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.
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 26 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 2007 College Cup was hosted by SAS Soccer Park, in Cary, North Carolina.
Division IIThe 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.