The 2025 NCAA Division I men’s soccer tournament, the 67th edition of this prestigious annual event, is in its final stages as of December 9, 2025. Featuring 48 elite teams from across the nation, the single-elimination bracket has delivered drama, upsets, and nail-biting finishes through overtime and penalty shootouts.
The tournament determines the national champion among the top collegiate programs, with matches hosted on campus sites until the College Cup semifinals and final at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina.
The 2025 NCAA Division I men’s soccer tournament has showcased 99 goals across 40 completed matches—an average of 2.48 per game—highlighting the sport’s intensity and skill.
Top-seeded Vermont entered as the defending champions with an undefeated 14-0-5 regular-season record, but the path to glory has been anything but straightforward for favorites.
The field includes 22 automatic qualifiers from conference tournaments (plus one from the West Coast Conference’s regular season) and 26 at-large bids. The top 16 seeds earned byes into the second round, setting the stage for underdogs to shine.
2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Tournament Qualification and Seeding
Teams qualified through a mix of conference success and at-large selections based on regular-season performance and rankings from the United Soccer Coaches poll.
Notable automatic bids included powerhouses like Vermont (America East), SMU (ACC), and Saint Louis (Atlantic 10), alongside first-timers such as Florida Atlantic (American) and Lindenwood (Ohio Valley).
The seeded teams, ranked by the selection committee, were:
| Seed | Team | Conference | Record | Berth Type | Ranking |
| 1 | Vermont | America East | 14-0-5 | Automatic | 2 |
| 2 | Virginia | ACC | 12-2-4 | At-Large | 4 |
| 3 | Princeton | Ivy | 15-1-2 | Automatic | 3 |
| 4 | Maryland | Big Ten | 12-1-3 | At-Large | 1 |
| 5 | SMU | ACC | 9-4-4 | Automatic | 25 |
| 6 | Indiana | Big Ten | 12-5-1 | At-Large | 24 |
| 7 | Georgetown | Big East | 10-3-4 | Automatic | 15 |
| 8 | Portland | West Coast | 11-1-3 | At-Large | 6 |
| 9 | San Diego | West Coast | 13-2-3 | Automatic | 7 |
| 10 | High Point | Big South | 13-1-4 | Automatic | 9 |
| 11 | Bryant | America East | 15-1-2 | At-Large | 5 |
| 12 | Stanford | ACC | 13-3-2 | At-Large | 8 |
| 13 | UConn | Big East | 13-3-2 | At-Large | RV |
| 14 | Akron | ACC | 11-3-3 | At-Large | 14 |
| 15 | NC State | ACC | 12-2-4 | At-Large | 11 |
| 16 | Furman | SoCon | 12-1-4 | Automatic | 12 |
First Round: November 20 – Opening Thrillers
The tournament kicked off with 16 first-round matches on campus sites, where non-seeded teams battled for survival. Upsets were immediate, with five games decided by penalty kicks and several going into extra time.
Key results:
- Washington 3, Oregon State 2 (2OT) – A five-goal thriller to open the bracket.
- Saint Louis 2, Kentucky 1 (OT)
- UCF 3, Florida Atlantic 2 (OT)
- West Virginia 4, St. John’s (NY) 3 (OT)
- Western Michigan 1, Clemson 0
- Notre Dame 1, Michigan 0 (PK)
- North Carolina 2, North Florida 2 (North Carolina wins 6-5 on PKs)
- Hofstra 2, Syracuse 0
- Cornell 4, Lafayette 0
- Denver 2, UC Irvine 0
- Seton Hall 1, Siena 1 (Seton Hall wins 3-0 on PKs)
- Grand Canyon 0, UCLA 0 (Grand Canyon wins 1-3 on PKs? Wait, 3-1 per sources)
- UNC Greensboro 0, Elon 0 (UNC Greensboro wins 4-3 on PKs)
- Duke 1, Fairleigh Dickinson 0
- Marshall 1, Cleveland State 0
- Kansas City 1, Lindenwood 0
Notable: Washington’s dramatic 2OT win featured clutch scoring, foreshadowing their deep run.
Second Round: November 23 – Seeds Tested
The 32 surviving teams converged, with seeded squads entering the fray. Overtime and PKs continued to dominate, as 10 matches required extra play.
Key results:
- Saint Louis 1, Indiana 0 (2OT) – Defending A-10 champs edge No. 6 seed.
- Hofstra 3, Vermont 2 – Massive upset as Hofstra knocks out No. 1 seed and defending champs.
- Maryland 1, North Carolina 1 (Maryland wins 4-3 on PKs)
- Akron 1, Notre Dame 0
- Furman 1, Western Michigan 0 (PK)
- UConn 3, Cornell 1
- Washington 1, SMU 0
- Duke 2, Princeton 1
- Georgetown 2, UCF 0
- NC State 2, Marshall 0
- Bryant 1, Seton Hall 0
- High Point 3, West Virginia 2
- Stanford 1, Kansas City 0
- Grand Canyon 2, San Diego 1
- Portland 2, Denver 2 (Portland wins 5-4 on PKs)
Notable upset: Hofstra’s 3-2 extra-time victory over Vermont, led by Laurie Goddard’s two goals, sent shockwaves through the bracket.
Third Round (Round of 16): November 29-30 – Brutal Cut
Sixteen teams remained, with neutral-site games intensifying the action. The round saw defensive masterclasses and late heroics.
Key results:
- Maryland 3, UConn 0
- Georgetown 2, High Point 1
- Portland 1, Grand Canyon 0
- Akron 2, Duke 0
- NC State 2, UNC Greensboro 0
- Washington 1, Stanford 0 (PK) – An 88th-minute goal sealed the win.
- Furman 3, Hofstra 3 (Furman wins 5-4 on PKs)
- Saint Louis 2, Bryant 2 (Saint Louis wins 3-4 on PKs? Wait, 4-3 per bracket)
Notable: Furman’s resilience in PKs against Hofstra, advancing the No. 16 seed.
Quarterfinals: December 5-6 – Final Four Emerges
The elite eight battled in high-stakes clashes, producing the 2025 Final Four: Furman, Washington, Saint Louis, and NC State. All matches were decided in regulation, bucking the trend of extras.
Key results:
- Furman 1, Portland 0 – Freshman Braden Dunham’s incredible long-distance goal in the 72nd minute propelled the Paladins to their first College Cup.
- NC State 3, Georgetown 2
- Saint Louis 3, Akron 2 – The Billikens rallied from 2-0 down with three second-half goals for a thrilling comeback.
- Washington 3, Maryland 1 – The Huskies dismantled No. 4 seed Maryland with efficient attacking.
Notable: Saint Louis’s improbable rally at Akron highlighted their championship pedigree, while Furman’s underdog story captivated fans.
Semifinals and Final: December 12-15 – The College Cup Awaits
The Final Four heads to WakeMed Soccer Park for the College Cup. Semifinals are set for Friday, December 12 (all times ET):
- Furman vs Washington – 18:00
- No. 16 seed Furman (14-1-4 overall) faces unbeaten-in-regulation Washington (13-2-6), who haven’t lost since October.
- Saint Louis vs NC State – 20:30
- The Billikens (13-2-8) meet No. 15 seed NC State (14-4-2), both riding upset-fueled momentum.
The championship final follows on Monday, December 15, at 7:00 p.m. ET, crowning the 2025 national champion.
Notable Moments and Stats
This final tournament has been defined by underdogs: No. 16 Furman and No. 15 NC State join higher seeds in the Final Four, echoing Cinderella runs past.
Top scorers include Laurie Goddard (Hofstra, 4 goals) and Marcus Caldeira (West Virginia, 4 goals), though eliminations have shifted the spotlight to semifinal contributors.
Upsets abound—Hofstra’s dethroning of Vermont stands out, alongside Washington’s unseeded path past SMU, Stanford, and Maryland. With 47 total matches planned, the stage is set for more history in Cary.
For live updates, visit NCAA.com or ESPN. The 2025 tournament promises a fitting climax to a season of soccer excellence.