On Nov. 1, the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Committee’s in-season Top 16 ranking was revealed. The complete 48-team field is announced on Nov. 18.
No automatic bids have been given. No conference tournaments have even kicked off yet. But the announcement offers a glimmer of clarity with numerous unanswered questions in 2019.
EARLY LOOK : Georgetown tops in-season Top 16
Georgetown leads both the Big East standings and the Top 16. The Hoyas claimed the top spot having not allowed a goal since Sept. 28 while riding a seven-game winning streak and an unbeaten record in league play.
Virginia comes in at No. 2 after winning a share of the ACC regular season title with Clemson, who's No. 4. Washington is third as the Huskies lead the United Soccer Coaches Poll and hold a multi-game edge in the Pac-12. Wake Forest, last season’s No. 1 seed, rounds out the Top 5.
Here’s a look at the complete Top 16:
| SEED | SCHOOL | RECORD (AS OF 10/30) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgetown | 13-1-1 |
| 2 | Virginia | 13-1-1 |
| 3 | Washington | 14-1-0 |
| 4 | Clemson | 13-1-1 |
| 5 | Wake Forest | 12-3-1 |
| 6 | UCF | 11-1-2 |
| 7 | St. John’s (NY) | 12-2-1 |
| 8 | SMU | 12-1-1 |
| 9 | Stanford | 10-1-2 |
| 10 | Indiana | 11-2-3 |
| 11 | Penn St. | 10-2-3 |
| 12 | Missouri St. | 14-0-0 |
| 13 | Saint Mary’s (CA) | 13-1-0 |
| 14 | Maryland | 9-5-2 |
| 15 | Louisville | 8-5-2 |
| 16 | FIU | 9-0-5 |
Out of the 16 teams listed, 11 reached the NCAA tournament a season ago and nine were seeded. Reigning national champion Maryland sits at No. 14 as the Terrapins try to defend their title while 2018 College Cup participant Indiana is No. 10.
CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION: 2019 College Cup dates, times
No. 14 Missouri State is the last perfect team in Division I men’s soccer after a 14-0 start. The Bears could potentially break the program record for single-season wins (17) and are poised to end a 10-year postseason drought.
In addition to Missouri State, two of the top 16 — St. John’s and Penn State — could potentially return to the NCAA tournament after extended absences. The last postseason appearance for the Red Storm came in 2013 while the Nittany Lions last made the field in 2014.
The 2019 College Cup takes place in Cary, North Carolina. An ACC team has won the national championship in each of the previous times WakeMed Soccer Park has hosted. The ACC leads all conferences with four teams in the Top 16.
Here’s how the Top 16 shapes up by conference:
| CONFERENCE | TEAMS |
|---|---|
| ACC | 4 |
| Big Ten | 3 |
| American | 2 |
| Big East | 2 |
| Pac-12 | 2 |
| Conference USA | 1 |
| Missouri Valley | 1 |
| WCC | 1 |
