Three Pac-12 Men's Soccer teams selected for NCAA Tournament

SAN FRANCISCO - Three Pac-12 men’s soccer teams were selected to participate in the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship, as announced by the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Committee. STANFORD, WASHINGTON, and CALIFORNIA vie for a trip to play in the 2017 NCAA College Cup, to be held December 8 and 10 at Talen Energy Stadium in Philadelphia, Pa.

Defending two-time NCAA Champion Stanford earned the No. 9 seed and a first-round bye in its fifth-straight and 16th overall NCAA Tournament appearance. The defending four-time Pac-12 Champion finished league play with a 9-0-1 record and a 15-2-1 overall record. The Cardinal attempt to become the first team to have three-consecutive NCAA titles since Virginia, who won four-straight times (1991-94). The Cardinal host either Pacific or Cal State Fullerton on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 5 p.m. PT.

California earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014, making this its 18th overall appearance. The Golden Bears finished the regular season second in the Pac-12 with a 6-4 Conference record and 11-6 overall record. California hosts San Francisco on Thursday, November 16 to determine who plays No. 4-seeded Louisville.

Washington is set to host cross-town rival Seattle, marking the team’s 24th appearance in the tournament. The Huskies, who are 12-6-1 this season, finished third in the Pac-12 standings with a Conference record of 5-4-1. Washington hosts Seattle on Thursday, November 16 at 6 p.m. PT to determine who plays No. 5-seeded Akron on Sunday.

The Pac-12 currently holds an all-time record of 130-99-11 (.564) in the NCAA Men’s College Cup, with six national championships and eight second-place finishes. Last season, Stanford won its second-consecutive national championship with a 5-4 victory in penalty kicks over Wake Forest.

The 48-team field is made up of the champions of 24 conferences, who qualified automatically, in addition to 24 teams that were selected at-large. The top 16 teams were all seeded and receive first round byes. All first-round games play Thursday, November 16, while all second-round action take place Sunday, November 19. The third round is played November 25 and 26, while the quarterfinals are played December 1 and 2. The Men’s College Cup is held December 8 and 10 at Talen Energy Stadium in Philadelphia, Pa.

For more information, visit ncaa.com. The 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship bracket can be viewed here.