NCAA Division III men's soccer tournament explained

Men's Division III Soccer Championship
Founded:1974
Country:United States
Teams:62
Champion:St. Olaf (1st title)
Most Champs:Messiah (11 titles)
Website:Website

The NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship is an annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III collegiate men's soccer in the United States.

Messiah is the most successful team, with 11 titles.

St. Olaf College are the reigning champions, winning their first championship in 2023.[1]

History

It has been held each year since 1974, except 2020, when the Division III championship was established for universities that do not award athletics scholarships. The 2020 tournament was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.[2] Division III teams had previously competed as part of the NCAA College Division Men's Soccer Championship (now Division II). A total of 64 teams participate, making it the largest of the NCAA's men's soccer tournaments.

Traditionally, the tournament is held in November and December at the end of the regular season. The tournament finals were initially held on the campus of one of the teams participating in the semifinals. Since 2004, however, they have been held at the same pre-determined neutral site as the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship (added in 1986).

Selection format

Of the three NCAA divisions, Division III has the most complicated selection process. In 2012, the tournament was a 62-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 which are in conferences that 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. The remaining teams in the field are selected from Pool C. Two teams received first round byes, and the rest of the bracket was filled by geographical proximity. The early rounds of the championship were played at campus sites with the higher seeded team hosting the match. The semifinals and finals are played at a predetermined campus site. The 2012 Division III final rounds were held at Blossom Soccer Complex in San Antonio.[3]

Results

style= colspan=10NCAA Division III men's soccer tournament
Year Site
(Host Team)
ChampionshipSemifinalists
ChampionScoreRunner-UpThird PlaceScoreFourth Place
1974
Details
Wheaton, IL
(Wheaton (IL))
Brockport State3–1 SwarthmoreWestfield State3–1 MacMurray
1975
Details
Brockport, NY
(Brockport State)
Babson1–0 Brockport StateOhio Wesleyan1–0Johns Hopkins
1976
Details
Elizabethtown, PA
(Elizabethtown)
Brandeis2–1
(2OT)
Elizabethtown2–1MacMurray
1977
Details
Wellesley, MA
(Babson)
Lock Haven1–0Cortland StateBabson1–0Wooster
1978
Details
Lock Haven (2)3–0Washington St. LouisCortland State2–1
(OT)
North Adams State
1979
Details
Trenton, NJ
(Trenton State)
Babson (2)2–1Glassboro StateWashington St. Louis2–1Lock Haven
1980
Details
Wellesley, MA
(Babson)
Babson (3)1–0
(OT)
ScrantonGlassboro State1–0Washington St. Louis
1981
Details
Elizabethtown, PA
(Elizabethtown)
Glassboro State2–1
(4OT)
Brandeis4–2Ohio Wesleyan
1982
Details
Greensboro, NC
(UNC Greensboro)
UNC Greensboro2–1Bethany (WV)Cortland State and Scranton
1983
Details
UNC Greensboro (2)3–2Claremont–Mudd–ScrippsPlymouth State and Scranton
1984
Details
Wheaton, IL
(Wheaton)
Wheaton (IL)2–1
(3OT)
BrandeisKean and RIT
1985
Details
St. Louis, MO
(Washington St. Louis)
UNC Greensboro (3)5–2Washington St. LouisFredonia State and Glassboro State
1986
Details
Greensboro, NC
(UNC Greensboro)
UNC Greensboro (4)2–0UC San DiegoFredonia State and Messiah
1987
Details
UNC Greensboro (5)6–1Washington St. LouisCal State San Bernardino and Salem State
1988
Details
Rochester, NY
(RIT)
UC San Diego3–0RITMessiah and Salem State
1989
Details
Elizabethtown, PA
(Elizabethtown)
Elizabethtown2–0GreensboroUC San Diego and RIT
1990
Details
Delaware, OH
(Ohio Wesleyan)
Glassboro State1–1
(4OT, PK)
Ohio WesleyanSalem State and Wheaton (IL)
1991
Details
San Diego, CA
(UC San Diego)
UC San Diego (2)1–0Trenton StateBabson and Ohio Wesleyan
1992
Details
Union, NJ
(Kean)
Kean3–1Ohio WesleyanColorado College and RIT
1993
Details
Williamstown, MA
(Williams)
UC San Diego (3)1–0WilliamsClarkson and Kenyon
1994
Details
Trenton, NJ
(Trenton State)
Bethany (WV)1–0
(2OT)
Johns HopkinsTrenton State & Wisconsin–Oshkosh
1995
Details
Williamstown, MA
(Williams)
Williams2–1MethodistChapman and Muhlenberg
1996
Details
Gambier, OH
(Kenyon)
College of New Jersey2–1
(OT)
KenyonChicago and Ithaca
1997
Details
Fredericksburg, VA
(Mary Washington)
Wheaton (IL) (2)3–0College of New JerseyAmherst and Mary Washington
1998
Details
Delaware, OH
(Ohio Wesleyan)
Ohio Wesleyan2–1
(OT)
GreensboroRowan and Williams
1999
Details
Wheaton, IL
(Wheaton)
St. Lawrence2–0Wheaton (IL)Alma and Richard Stockton
2000
Details
Glassboro, NJ
(Rowan)
Messiah2–0RowanLinfield and Wisconsin–Oshkosh
2001
Details
Grantham, PA
(Messiah)
Richard Stockton3–2RedlandsMessiah and Ohio Wesleyan
2002
Details
Canton, NY
(St. Lawrence)
Messiah (2)1–0OtterbeinSt. Lawrence and Trinity (TX)
2003
Details
Madison, NJ
(Drew)
Trinity (TX)2–1DrewWheaton (MA) and Wisconsin–Oshkosh
2004
Details
Greensboro, NCMessiah (3)4–0UC Santa CruzGeneseo State and Salisbury
2005
Details
Messiah (4)1–0Gustavus AdolphusPlattsburgh State and Wheaton (IL)
2006
Details
Lake Buena Vista, FLMessiah (5)3–0Wheaton (IL)NYU and Ohio Wesleyan
2007
Details
Middlebury0–0
(4–3 pen)
Trinity (TX)Loras and Messiah
2008
Details
Greensboro, NCMessiah (6)1–1
(3–0 pen)
Stevens TechAmherst and Loras
2009
Details
San Antonio, TXMessiah (7)2–0CalvinDominican (IL) and Williams
2010
Details
Messiah (8)2–1
(OT)
LynchburgBowdoin and Wisconsin–Oshkosh
2011
Details
Ohio Wesleyan (2)2–1CalvinMontclair State and Oneonta State
2012
Details
Messiah (9)5–1Ohio NorthernLoras and Williams
2013
Details
Messiah (10)2–1
(2OT)
Rutgers–CamdenLoras and Williams
2014
Details
Kansas City, MOTufts4–2Wheaton (IL)Ohio Wesleyan and SUNY Oneonta
2015
Details
Amherst2–1LorasCalvin and SUNY Oneonta
2016
Details
Salem, VATufts (2)1–0
(2OT)
CalvinBrandeis and St. Thomas (MN)
2017
Details
Greensboro, NCMessiah (11)2–1North ParkBrandeis and Chicago
2018
Details
Tufts (3)2–1CalvinChicago and Rochester (NY)
2019
Details
Tufts (4)2–0AmherstCalvin and Centre
2020NoneCanceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United StatesNone
2021
Details
Greensboro, NCConnecticut College1–1
(4–1 pen)
AmherstChicago and Washington and Lee
2022
Details
Chicago 2–0WilliamsStevens and Mary Washington
2023
Details
Salem, VASt. Olaf2–0AmherstWashington and Lee and Washington College
2024
Details
Las Vegas, NV
2025
Details
Salem, VA

Champions

Team Titles Years
style=11 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017
style=4 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019
style=3 1975, 1979, 1980
style=2 1998, 2011
style=1981, 1990
style=1984, 1997
style=1 2023
style=2022
style=2021
style=2015
style=2007
style=2003
style=2001
style=1999
style=1996
style=1995
style=1994
style=1992
style=1989
style=1976
style=1974

Former programs

Team Titles Years
style= 5 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987
style= 3 1988, 1991, 1993
style= 2 1977, 1978

See also

References

  1. Web site: St. Olaf wins the 2023 NCAA DIII men's soccer championship . 2023-12-03 . www.ncaa.com . en.
  2. Web site: DIII Men's Soccer Championship History NCAA.com. 2021-11-04. www.ncaa.com. en.
  3. Web site: DIII Men's College Soccer. NCAA.com.

External links