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Postseason play is officially underway in women’s college soccer as the 2023 NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship bracket was announced Monday. Although the Gators soccer team didn’t make the cut for postseason play, eight SEC teams qualified for the tournament. The SEC has the second most behind the Big Ten, which has nine teams competing.
The NCAA tournament officially kicks off as 64 teams go head-to-head in the first round beginning November 10 through November 12.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 😍⚽️
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— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) November 6, 2023
8 SEC Teams in the Tournament
The NCAA bracket features eight SEC teams competing in the tournament. Following the conference championship, teams are forced to make a quick turnaround as they get ready for the opening round.
The SEC tournament came to a close on Sunday as No. 2 Georgia beat No. 1 Arkansas to claim their first-ever title. Eight teams out of the 10 that qualified for the SEC tournament earned a spot in the NCAA bracket.
Auburn and Kentucky were the two teams who didn’t make the cut. Although Auburn got past the first round of the SEC tournament after beating Tennessee, 2-1, they lost in the quarterfinal to Arkansas. Kentucky beat LSU in the opening round to advance on PKs but reached the end of the road when they faced Georgia in the quarterfinal.
Out of the eight SEC teams competing in the tournament, six are ranked while Tennessee and LSU enter the opening round unranked.
SEC First Round Games in NCAA Tournament
- No. 4 Georgia vs Liberty – Nov. 10, 4 p.m.
- No. 6 Alabama vs Western California – Nov. 10, 6 p.m.
- No. 7 South Carolina vs James Madison – Nov. 10, 6 p.m.
- No. 8 Texas A&M vs Colorado – Nov. 10, 7 p.m.
- No. 2 Arkansas vs Grambling – Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m.
- No. 6 Mississippi State vs Providence – Nov. 11, 2 p.m.
- Tennessee vs No. 4 Xavier – Nov. 11, 4 p.m.
- LSU vs No. 6 Memphis – Nov. 11, 8 p.m.
Entering the SEC tournament, South Carolina was ranked No. 3 but the Gamecocks made an early exit in the quarterfinal after losing 1-0 to Texas A&M. The Gamecocks are now a No. 7 seed as they begin the opening round hosting James Madison on Friday.
No. 8 Texas A&M had a tough schedule in the SEC tournament but delivered impressive performances in both games. The Aggies upset South Carolina 1-0 in the quarterfinal sending the Gamecocks home earlier than expected. However, Texas A&M made their tournament exit in the semifinal after a 3-2 overtime loss to Georgia. The Aggies will face Colorado on Friday in the first round.
After a second-place finish in the SEC tournament, Arkansas received the No. 2 seed and will host Grambling Friday night.
The SEC champion Georgia Bulldogs open up the tournament for the SEC with the first game on Friday. The bulldogs received the No. 4 seed and will host Liberty for their second straight home tournament opener in Athens.
