INDIANAPOLIS – With less than four weeks to go before the selection, the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Committee has announced its top 16 teams.

“The committee is very pleased to provide this top 16 season ranking,” said Keri Mendoza, senior associate AD at Cal Poly and this year’s chair of the committee. “There have been a lot of great games in the last few weeks, including some surprises, making for an exciting season and leading to shake-ups in the rankings.”

Based on the results of the Oct. 16 games, Duke is the top team in the committee’s rankings. The Blue Devils have won 11 straight games, including three wins in the RPI Top 15, most notably a victory over rival North Carolina.

The Tar Heels have six wins in the RPI Top 50, have the second-best playing strength in the country and are ranked second in the rankings. Wake Forest marks three straight ACC teams atop the committee’s list, finishing third. The Demon Deacons have played the toughest schedule in the country, earning four wins over teams ranked in the top 15 in the RPI.

Rounding out the top four, which would be the final No. 1 seed in the rankings, is Mississippi State. The Bulldogs have six wins against teams ranked in the top 50 in RPI and have allowed just three goals this season, the best record in the country.

“According to our established selection criteria, we evaluated each team’s adjusted Rating Percentage Index (RPI), head-to-head competition, results against common opponents and strength of schedule,” Mendoza said. “New to our criteria this year, we also place emphasis on wins and draws against teams ranked in the top 25 and 50 of the adjusted RPI.”

The next spot in the rankings goes to Arkansas, while Iowa, Stanford and Penn State make up the group that would make up the two seeds in the group.

Auburn and Michigan State round out the top 10, followed by Southern California and UCLA. Ohio State, TCU, Notre Dame and Pepperdine are considered the last teams in the rankings.

“We are looking forward to the final weeks of the regular season,” Mendoza added. “In contrast to previous years, the teams in the top four places all suffered at least one defeat, which shows the parity of the best-placed teams this season. Many teams are still in the running for the top 16, so the final rankings could change a lot in the next three weeks compared to what we are seeing now.”

The 2024 Championship field will consist of 30 automatic qualifiers and 34 overall selections, which will be announced on Monday, November 11 at 4:00 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.

During the selection process, the committee identifies the 32 best teams and divides them into four groups from 1 to 8. The 16 best teams will be ranked and assigned to a seeding group from 1 to 4.

The tournament begins on Friday, November 15th. The championship will be played on campus until the quarterfinals as teams attempt to secure a trip to the Women’s College Cup.

The 2024 Women’s College Cup returns to WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina with the semifinals on Friday, December 6th, followed by the national championship game on Monday, December 9th.

For more information, visit: https://www.ncaatickets.com/championship/womens-college-cup/champinfo
 
NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Committee Top 16 Rankings
(Recorded by games on October 16)
1. Duke (11-1-0)
2. North Carolina (13-2-0)
3. Wake Forest (9-2-2)
4. Mississippi St. (12-1-0)
5. Arkansas (11-1-1)
6. Iowa (11-1-3)
7. Stanford (12-2-1)
8. Penn St. (11-3-2)
9. Auburn (12-1-2)
10. Michigan St. (9-1-5)
11. Southern California (11-1-2)
12. UCLA (12-2-2)
13. Ohio St. (10-2-3)
14. TCU (11-2-2)
15. Notre Dame (8-1-3)
16. Pepperdine (9-2-3)