Get ready, soccer fans! The 2025 NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament bracket has been unveiled, and the road to CPKC Stadium in Kansas City is officially paved! Let's dive into the details of this exciting competition.
The big reveal happened on Monday, November 10th, setting the stage for what promises to be an unforgettable tournament. A whopping 64 teams will battle it out for the coveted Women's Cup. Before the official announcement, about half the field was already set, thanks to automatic qualifiers from various conference tournaments.
A major highlight of the selection was the dominance of the ACC, with three teams snagging No. 1 seeds: Stanford, Notre Dame, and Virginia. Joining them as a top seed is Vanderbilt, fresh off a thrilling penalty-kick victory over LSU to clinch their first SEC championship since 2020 and their fifth title overall.
The action kicks off on Friday, November 14th, with matches hosted at the campuses of the higher-ranked teams. The climax of the tournament, the Women's Cup, will unfold at CPKC Stadium. Mark your calendars for the national semifinals on Friday, December 5th, and the championship game on Monday, December 8th.
Here's a glimpse of the matchups, broken down by region:
Notre Dame Region:
- UIC vs. No. 1 Notre Dame
- Ohio State vs. No. 8 Georgia
- Texas State vs. No. 5 Baylor
- Western Michigan vs. No. 4 Wisconsin
- Samford vs. No. 3 Florida State
- Lipscomb vs. No. 6 Mississippi State
- Wagner vs. No. 7 West Virginia
- Sacred Heart vs. No. 2 Georgetown
Vanderbilt Region:
- Grambling vs. No. 2 TCU
- Illinois vs. No. 7 Memphis
- Texas-San Antonio vs. No. 6 Texas Tech
- North Carolina vs. No. 3 Tennessee
- Houston Christian vs. No. 4 LSU
- South Dakota State vs. No. 5 Iowa
- Liberty vs. No. 8 Clemson
- Tennessee Tech vs. No. 1 Vanderbilt
Stanford Region:
- Cal Poly vs. No. 1 Stanford
- Northwestern vs. No. 8 Alabama
- Utah State vs. No. 5 BYU
- Pepperdine vs. No. 4 UCLA
- Utah Valley vs. No. 3 Colorado
- Dayton vs. No. 6 Xavier
- South Carolina vs. No. 7 Wake Forest
- Milwaukee vs. No. 2 Michigan State
Virginia Region:
- Elon vs. No. 2 Duke
- Maine vs. No. 7 UCF
- Kentucky vs. No. 6 Louisville
- California Baptist vs. No. 3 Kansas
- Montana vs. No. 4 Washington
- Dartmouth vs. No. 5 Arkansas
- Army vs. No. 8 Penn State
- High Point vs. No. 1 Virginia
Who will claim the crown? The selection committee has made their choices, with Virginia, Stanford, Vanderbilt, and Notre Dame earning the coveted No. 1 seeds.
- Virginia: The Cavaliers, representing the ACC, will face Big South champion High Point in their opening match.
- Stanford: Fresh off their ACC championship win, Stanford will kick off their postseason against Cal Poly.
- Vanderbilt: After a thrilling SEC championship victory, Vanderbilt secures a No. 1 seed.
- Notre Dame: Despite falling short in the ACC championship, Notre Dame will face UIC in the first round.
How to catch the action? The selection show was streamed live on NCAA.com.
- Date: Monday, November 10
- Time: 4 p.m. ET
What about the automatic qualifiers? Here's a list of teams that earned their spot through conference tournament wins:
- American: UTSA
- America East: Maine
- ACC: Stanford
- Atlantic 10: Dayton
- ASUN: Lipscomb
- Big East: Xavier
- Big Sky: Montana
- Big South: High Point
- Big Ten: Washington
- Big 12: BYU
- Big West: Cal Poly
- CAA: Elon
- Conference USA: Liberty
- Horizon League: Milwaukee
- Ivy League: Dartmouth
- MAAC: Sacred Heart
- MAC: Western Michigan
- Missouri Valley: UIC
- Mountain West: Utah State
- NEC: Wagner
- Ohio Valley: Tennessee Tech
- Patriot League: Army
- SEC: Vanderbilt
- SoCon: Samford
- Southland: Houston Christian
- SWAC: Grambling State
- Summit League: South Dakota State
- Sun Belt: Texas State
- WAC: California Baptist
- WCC: Pepperdine
Mark your calendars for the tournament! The first round begins on Friday, November 14th, with matches continuing through Sunday, November 16th.
When is the Women's Cup? The national semifinals are on December 5th, and the championship game is on December 8th.
And the location? This year, the Women's Cup will be held at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. This marks a change from the previous three years in Cary, North Carolina.
Here's the full tournament schedule:
- First round: November 14-16
- Second round: November 20
- Third round: November 23
- Quarterfinals: November 28-29
- Semifinals: December 5
- Finals: December 8
Who are the reigning champions? North Carolina is the defending champion, having defeated Wake Forest 1-0 in last season's final.
Here's a look at the past 10 years of champions:
- 2024: North Carolina
- 2023: Florida State
- 2022: UCLA
- 2021: Florida State
- 2020: Santa Clara
- 2019: Stanford
- 2018: Florida State
- 2017: Stanford
- 2016: Southern California
- 2015: Penn State
- 2014: Florida State
What do you think? Which teams are you backing to go all the way? Share your predictions and thoughts in the comments below!
