The NCAA women’s soccer tournament is almost underway, and the official 64-team bracket was released on Monday night, Nov. 10. Though the bracket contains many of the NCAA women’s soccer homestays, like North Carolina, Stanford, and Florida State, it also includes a few new programs. Wagner and UIC will make their tournament debuts, and Sacred Heart will join the dance for the first time in over 20 years.

But before we eye some upsets, let’s break down the process of how the bracket is made.

Selection process

Per the NCAA, the field of 64 teams vying for the NCAA Championship is made up of two groups. One is the thirty teams that won their respective conference tournaments; each of those teams gets an automatic bid. The other 34 teams consist of at-large selections from a committee that identifies the remaining best programs in the country.

Of the total 64 teams selected, the top 34 are seeded. Conference teams also cannot play each other in the first or second rounds. And lastly, when pairing teams, the committee follows geographic proximity, ideally so it’s not too hard for teams to travel to play each other.

Details about the tournament

The first round of the 44th NCAA women’s soccer championship will be played from Nov. 14-15. The second round will take place on Nov. 20. The third round will be played on Nov. 23, and the quarterfinals will take place either Nov. 28 or 29. The College Cup, which consists of both the semifinals and the finals, will be played from Dec. 5-8 in Kansas City at CPKC Stadium, the only soccer stadium in the country constructed specifically for a women’s team (the Kansas City Current).

Marquee games:

If you have time for two games this weekend, make it these ones:

• Louisville v. Kentucky, Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2pm EST: A basketball rivalry heads to the soccer fields. Long-considered one of the best sports rivalries in NCAA history, the players of Louisville and Kentucky have another opportunity to try to outdo the other one; this time, however, it’s with a soccer ball, not a basketball. Both schools are gearing up for a good first round fight - the rivals haven’t played each other since 2018, and have never played in the postseason. Kentucky leads the all-time series 12-4-1, though Louisville enters Saturday’s match with a higher seed.
• Notre Dame v. UIC, Saturday Nov. 15 at 6pm EST: No. 1 seed Notre Dame should have no problem defeating debutant UIC on Saturday evening. The real reason to tune into this game is to see some of the country’s best soccer right before your eyes. This season has been record-breaking for the Fighting Irish, and they’re feeling particularly feisty and vengeful after falling in penalty kicks to Stanford in the ACC Tournament. Expect Izzy Engle and Annabelle Chukwu to dominate the turf as they’ve done all season long.

Cinderella story watch:

• Wagner v. West Virginia, Friday, Nov. 14, 7pm EST: Wagner, like UIC, debuts at the NCAA tournament this year. Unlike UIC, however, Wagner actually plays a reasonable opponent. The Seahawks will take on the West Virginia Mountaineers, who earned a 7-seed this year. West Virginia is a formidable team, but Wagner lucked out by avoiding a true behemoth in their first round. If they bypass West Virginia, however, they’ll likely have to take on No. 2 seed Georgetown next. It’s an uphill battle (emphasis on the up), but Cinderella is a story for a reason…
• North Carolina v. Tennessee, Friday. Nov 14, 6pm EST: While it’s hard to call a No. 3 seed a Cinderella, Tennessee faces the challenge of taking on an unranked-but-mighty North Carolina in the first round. North Carolina had a lackluster year but they’re known to fight their way through the toughest battles - you don’t win 23 national championships any other way. If Tennessee knocks North Carolina out in the first round, it will be only the second time in Tar Heel history that the team exited that early. Their historic dominance could be truly tested by one really good day from the Tennessee Volunteers.
• Wake Forest v. South Carolina, Friday. Nov. 14, 6pm EST: Wake Forest was everyone’s favorite underdog last year, when they battled all the way to the NCAA Championships before being bested by - you guessed it - North Carolina. Entering with a 7-seed this year, Wake Forest should be able to get past the unranked South Carolina. They’ll likely have to go on to face No. 2 seed Michigan State, but if last year proved anything, it’s that this program thrives when underestimated.