Nine SEC Soccer Teams Earn NCAA Tournament Bids

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3 hours ago
SEC Staff

Photo: SEC Staff

Birmingham, Ala.- A record-tying nine Southeastern Conference teams are among the field of 64 teams that will compete for the 41st NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship, it was announced this afternoon by the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Committee.

The SEC’s nine NCAA Tournament selections tie the league record set in 2017 and 2018. The nine selections are the second-most among all conferences.

Over the last 12 years, the SEC has earned 84 NCAA Tournament bids – an average of seven per year – with all 14 member institutions making at least one appearance during that span.

Seven of the SEC’s teams were seeded and will host their first round game. Alabama earned a No. 1 seed, the highest in school history; Arkansas and South Carolina are No. 3 seeds; Tennessee is seeded sixth; Georgia and Mississippi State are No. 7 seeds; and LSU is a No. 8 seed.

First round action will be played November 11-13, while the second/third rounds will be held November 18 and 20, with the quarterfinals on November 25 or 26.

This 41st annual NCAA Women’s College Cup will be played Dec. 2 and 5 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, with the University of North Carolina and Town of Cary, serving as hosts. The first national semifinal will be played and broadcast live on ESPNU at 6 p.m. Eastern time Friday, Dec. 2, followed by the second semifinal beginning at approximately 8:30 p.m. Eastern time live on ESPNU. The national championship match will take place at 6 p.m. Eastern time Monday, Dec. 5 and will also broadcast live on ESPNU.

 #1 Alabama

  • Hosts Jackson State at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 11.
  • SEC regular season champion is seeded for the first time in school history.
  • Alabama is making its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and fifth overall.
  • The Crimson Tide are hosting an NCAA Tournament game for the first time.

 #3 Arkansas

  • Hosts Missouri State at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 11.
  • Arkansas is making its ninth NCAA Tournament appearance, including its seventh straight.
  • Arkansas owns a 10-5-3 (.639) record in the tournament.
  • It is the fourth straight year the Razorbacks have been seeded in the tournament.
  • Arkansas advanced to the Elite Eight of last year’s tournament.

 #7 Georgia

  • Hosts Samford at 6:00 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 11.
  • Georgia is making its 10th NCAA Tournament appearance but first since 2014.
  • Keidane McAlpine is in his first year at the helm of the Bulldog program after leading Southern California to eight straight NCAA Tournaments, including the 2016 national championship.
  • It is the third time that Georgia has hosted NCAA Tournament matches at home.

 #8 LSU

  • Hosts Lamar at 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 11.
  • LSU is making its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance and eighth overall.
  • It is the first time that LSU has been seeded in the tournament since earning a No. 4 seed in 2009.

 #7 Mississippi State

  • Hosts New Mexico State at 4 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 11.
  • The Bulldogs are making their second NCAA Tournament appearance.
  • Their only other NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2018.

 #3 South Carolina

  • Hosts Wake Forest at 6:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 12.
  • The SEC Tournament champion who received the SEC’s automatic bid to the tournament.
  • South Carolina is making its 16th NCAA Tournament appearance and has an all-time record of 21-14-3 (.592) in the tournament.
  • It is the 10th consecutive year the Gamecocks have been selected to play in the tournament.
  • South Carolina advanced to the Elite Eight of last year’s tournament.

 #6 Tennessee

  • Hosts Xavier at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11.
  • Tennessee is making its 14th NCAA Tournament appearance and owns a 16-11-3 (.583) record in the tournament.
  • Joe Kirt has led the Volunteers to an NCAA Tournament in his first season at the helm of the program.
  • Tennessee has earned national seeds in its last three NCAA Tournament appearances (2018, 2021, and 2022).

 Texas A&M

  • Travels to Austin to play at #7 Texas at 6:00 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 11.
  • Texas A&M is making its 27th NCAA Tournament appearance and has produced a 39-23-9 (.613) record in the tournament.
  • The Aggies have appeared in the Elite Eight seven times and College Cup once (2014).
  • Texas A&M also played Texas in the first round of the 2019 tournament, a game the Aggies won 4-1 in College Station.

Vanderbilt

  • Travels to #5 Clemson to play at 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 11.
  • The Commodores are appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in the last six seasons and 12th time overall.
  • It is the second time in four years that the Commodores have traveled to play Clemson in the first round of the tournament.