INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The 2016 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference men's soccer regular season and tournament champions, Trinity University, will make its 14th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship Tournament as the Tigers will host first and round matches this weekend. Interactive Bracket | Printable Bracket
Trinity (20-1-0) earned the SCAC automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs by virtue of its 2-1 double overtime victory over Colorado College yesterday afternoon. The SCAC championship was the 14th league crown for Trinity in the last 15 years and assured the Tigers of their 20th appearance in NCAA postseason play since 1992.
Third-ranked Trinity will play unranked Whitworth University (12-3-3) in the tournament's first round.
On the other side of the bracket, Chapman University, an at-large selection from the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, takes on the American Southwest Conference champion, University of Texas-Dallas (13-4-2).
The winners of Friday's matches play on Saturday with a trip to the Sweet Sixteen on the line.
Forty-two conferences were awarded automatic qualification for the championship. One team was selected from Pool B, which consists of independent institutions, as well as members of conferences that do not meet the requirements for automatic qualification. The final 19 berths were reserved for Pool C, which includes institutions from automatic-qualifying conferences that did not win their conference championship, and any remaining Pool B teams.
All tournament games leading up to the national semifinals will be played on the campuses of the competing institutions. Two sites will host three teams for first- and second- round competition November 11 and 12 or 12 and 13. Fourteen sites will host four teams for first-and second-round competition November 11 and 12 or 12 and 13.
Second-round winners will advance to one of four sectional sites November 18 and 19 or 19 and 20. Winners of the four sectionals will advance to the national semifinals, which take place December 2 at Kerr Stadium in Salem, Virginia, with Roanoke College, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and the City of Salem serving as co-hosts. The national championship game will be played December 3. The Division III women's soccer national semifinals and championship games will also be held at Kerr Stadium December 2 and 3.
