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

“The committee is very excited to provide these top 16 rankings for the season,” said Keri Mendoza, Senior Associate AD at Cal Poly and this year’s committee chair. “There have been many great games in recent weeks, including some upsets, making for an exciting season and shaking up the rankings.”

Based on the results of games on Oct. 16, Duke comes in as the top team in the committee rankings. The Blue Devils have won eleven straight games, including three wins in the RPI top fifteen, highlighted by a victory over rival North Carolina.

The Tar Heels have six wins in the RPI top 50, boast the second-best schedule in the country and are second in the rankings. Wake Forest makes it three consecutive ACC teams at the top of the committee’s list and sits in third place. The Demon Deacons have played the toughest schedule in the country, earning four wins over teams in the RPI top 15.

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

“According to our established selection criteria, we evaluated the adjusted Rating Percentage Index (RPI), head-to-head competition, results against regular opponents and the strength of each team’s schedule,” Mendoza said. “New to our criteria this year, we also emphasize 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 form the two seeds in the bracket.

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

“We are looking forward to the final weeks of the regular season,” Mendoza added. “Unlike previous years, the teams in the top four have all suffered at least one defeat, demonstrating the parity of the top-ranked teams this season. Many teams are still fighting for the top 16, so the final rankings could change a lot over the next three weeks from what we see now.”

The 2024 championship field will consist of 30 automatic qualifiers and 34 at-large selections, which will be revealed on Monday, November 11 at 4:00 PM ET on NCAA.com.

During the selections, the committee will identify the top 32 teams and place them into four groups of 1 to 8. The top 16 teams are identified in ranking order and assigned a base group of 1 to 4.

The tournament starts on Friday, November 15. The championship takes place at campus locations through the quarterfinals as teams attempt to earn a trip to the Women’s College Cup.

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

For more information, visit: https://www.ncaatickets.com/championship/womens-college-cup/champinfo
 
NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Committee Top 16 Rankings
(recording via matches on October 16)
1. Duke (11-1-0)
2. North Carolina (13-2-0)
3. Wakebos (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. Chestnut brown (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. Peperdine (9-2-3)