Four Big Ten Schools Earn Bids To NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament

Four Big Ten Schools Earn Bids To NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament

Big Ten sends at least four teams to the tournament for 26th consecutive season

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference will have four schools participating in the 2020-21 NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship, it was announced Monday afternoon. Iowa, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers earned berths to this year’s 48-team NCAA Tournament, which kicks off April 27-28. The entire tournament will be played in the state of North Carolina, culminating with the NCAA College Cup May 13 and 17 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.

With Monday’s announcement, the Big Ten has now had at least four of its current women’s soccer programs advance to the NCAA Tournament for 26 consecutive seasons.

Iowa (6-8-1) earned the Big Ten’s automatic qualifying berth into the NCAA Tournament by virtue of its 1-0 win over Wisconsin in Sunday’s Big Ten Tournament title game. The Hawkeyes will be making their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and third in program history. Iowa will open NCAA Tournament play at 3 p.m. (ET) April 27, facing Campbell on the Camels’ home pitch at the Eakes Athletics Complex in Buies Creek, N.C. The winner of that match will advance to play No. 3 seed UCLA in the round of 32 at 3 p.m. (ET) on April 30, also in Buies Creek.

Ohio State (7-2-3) will be making its 14th NCAA Tournament appearance and 11th in the past 14 seasons. The Buckeyes, who finished second in the Big Ten standings, will kick off NCAA Tournament play at 8 p.m. (ET) April 28 against Stony Brook at Johnson Stadium in Greenville, N.C. The winner of that contest will move on to meet 11th-seeded Santa Clara at 8 p.m. (ET) May 1, also in Greenville.

Big Ten Champion Penn State (10-2-1) will be appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the 26th consecutive season, having won the national championship in 2015. The Nittany Lions will take on Alabama State in an opening-round game at 7 p.m. (ET) April 28 at WakeMed Soccer Park Field No. 4 in Cary, N.C. With a victory, Penn State would advance to take on No. 16 seed Vanderbilt at 7 p.m. (ET) May 1, also in Cary.

Rutgers (8-3-3) received its ninth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and the 15th in program history, a resume highlighted by a trip to the NCAA College Cup in 2015. The Scarlet Knights will start their postseason at 7 p.m. (ET) April 27 against Southeastern Louisiana in Buies Creek, N.C. Rutgers will play the nightcap at the Eakes Athletics Complex following Iowa’s first-round contest at Campbell. The winner of the Rutgers-SLU match will take on No. 14 seed Clemson at 7 p.m. (ET) April 30, also in Buies Creek.

Television coverage for NCAA Tournament matches prior to the semifinals will be announced at a later date. The NCAA College Cup semifinals and national championship match will be televised live on ESPNU.