# NCAA Division III men's soccer tournament

The NCAA Division III men's soccer tournament is an annual event organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to determine the national champions of men's collegiate soccer among its Division III members in the United States. It has been held every year since 1974.
Messiah have been the most successful program, with 11 titles.
Amherst are the reigning champions, winning their second championship in 2024.

## History

It has been held each year since 1974, except 2020, when the Division III championship was established for universities that do not award athletics scholarships. The 2020 tournament was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Division III teams had previously competed as part of the NCAA College Division Men's Soccer Championship (now Division II). A total of 64 teams participate, making it the largest of the NCAA's men's soccer tournaments.
Traditionally, the tournament is held in November and December at the end of the regular season. The tournament finals were initially held on the campus of one of the teams participating in the semifinals. Since 2004, however, they have been held at the same pre-determined neutral site as the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship (added in 1986).

## Selection format

Of the three NCAA divisions, Division III has the most complicated selection process. In 2012, the tournament was a 62-team, single-elimination tournament. Teams are divided into three pools. Pool A consists of the 36 conference champions, who all receive automatic bids to the tournament. Pool B consists of all teams which are not in conferences or which are in conferences that do not meet the requirements to be awarded an automatic bid. Four teams are selected from Pool B. Pool C consists of all the other teams, plus those Pool B teams not already selected. The remaining teams in the field are selected from Pool C. Two teams received first round byes, and the rest of the bracket was filled by geographical proximity. The early rounds of the championship were played at campus sites with the higher seeded team hosting the match. The semifinals and finals are played at a predetermined campus site. The 2012 Division III final rounds were held at Blossom Soccer Complex in San Antonio.

## Results
### Keys

* (a.e.t.) – match went to extra time
* (p) – match result defined on penalties
| Ed. | Year | Host city | Championship | Championship | Championship | Semifinalists | Semifinalists | Semifinalists |
| Ed. | Year | Host city | Champion | Score | Runner-Up | Third Place | Score | Fourth Place |
| 1 | 1974 | Wheaton, IL | Brockport State (1) | 3–1 | Swarthmore | Westfield State | 3–1 | MacMurray |
| 2 | 1975 | Brockport, NY | Babson (1) | 1–0 | Brockport | OWU | 1–0 | Johns Hopkins |
| 3 | 1976 | Elizabethtown, PA | Brandeis (1) | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Brockport | Elizabethtown | 2–1 | MacMurray |
| 4 | 1977 | Wellesley, MA | Lock Haven (1) | 1–0 | Cortland | Babson | 1–0 | Wooster |
| 5 | 1978 | Wellesley, MA | Lock Haven (2) | 3–0 | Washington (SL) | Cortland | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | North Adams |
| 6 | 1979 | Trenton, NJ | Babson (2) | 2–1 | Rowan | Washington (SL) | 2–1 | Lock Haven |
| 7 | 1980 | Wellesley, MA | Babson (3) | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Scranton | Rowan | 1–0 | Washington (SL) |
| 8 | 1981 | Elizabethtown, PA | Rowan (1) | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Scranton | Brandeis | 4–2 | OWU |
| 9 | 1982 | Greensboro, NC | UNCG (1) | 2–1 | Bethany (WV) | Cortland and Scranton | Cortland and Scranton | Cortland and Scranton |
| 10 | 1983 | Greensboro, NC | UNCG (2) | 3–2 | Claremont | Plymouth State and Scranton | Plymouth State and Scranton | Plymouth State and Scranton |
| 11 | 1984 | Wheaton, IL | Wheaton (IL) (1) | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Brandeis | Kean and RIT | Kean and RIT | Kean and RIT |
| 12 | 1985 | St. Louis, MO | UNCG (3) | 5–2 | Washington (SL) | Fredonia and Rowan | Fredonia and Rowan | Fredonia and Rowan |
| 13 | 1986 | Greensboro, NC | UNCG (4) | 2–0 | UC San Diego | Fredonia and Messiah | Fredonia and Messiah | Fredonia and Messiah |
| 14 | 1987 | Greensboro, NC | UNCG (5) | 6–1 | Washington (SL) | Cal State (SB) and Salem State | Cal State (SB) and Salem State | Cal State (SB) and Salem State |
| 15 | 1988 | Rochester, NY | UC San Diego | 3–0 | RIT | Messiah and Salem State | Messiah and Salem State | Messiah and Salem State |
| 16 | 1989 | Elizabethtown, PA | Elizabethtown (1) | 2–0 | Greensboro | UC San Diego and RIT | UC San Diego and RIT | UC San Diego and RIT |
| 17 | 1990 | Delaware, OH | Rowan (1) | 1–1 (? p) | OWU | Salem State and Wheaton (IL) | Salem State and Wheaton (IL) | Salem State and Wheaton (IL) |
| 18 | 1991 | San Diego, CA | UC San Diego (2) | 1–0 | TCNJ | Babson and OWU | Babson and OWU | Babson and OWU |
| 19 | 1992 | Union, NJ | Kean (1) | 3–1 | OWU | Colorado and RIT | Colorado and RIT | Colorado and RIT |
| 20 | 1993 | Williamstown, MA | UC San Diego (3) | 1–0 | Williams | Clarkson and Kenyon | Clarkson and Kenyon | Clarkson and Kenyon |
| 21 | 1994 | Trenton, NJ | Bethany (WV) | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Johns Hopkins | Trenton State & Wisconsin–Oshkosh | Trenton State & Wisconsin–Oshkosh | Trenton State & Wisconsin–Oshkosh |
| 22 | 1995 | Williamstown, MA | Williams (1) | 2–1 | Methodist | Chapman and Muhlenberg | Chapman and Muhlenberg | Chapman and Muhlenberg |
| 23 | 1996 | Gambier, OH | TCNJ (1) | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Kenyon | Chicago and Ithaca | Chicago and Ithaca | Chicago and Ithaca |
| 24 | 1997 | Fredericksburg, VA | Wheaton (IL) (2) | 3–0 | TCNJ | Amherst and Mary Washington | Amherst and Mary Washington | Amherst and Mary Washington |
| 25 | 1998 | Delaware, OH | OWU (1) | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Greensboro | Rowan and Williams | Rowan and Williams | Rowan and Williams |
| 26 | 1999 | Wheaton, IL | St. Lawrence (1) | 2–0 | Wheaton (IL) | Alma and Stockton | Alma and Stockton | Alma and Stockton |
| 27 | 2000 | Glassboro, NJ | Messiah (1) | 2–0 | Rowan | Linfield and Wisconsin–Oshkosh | Linfield and Wisconsin–Oshkosh | Linfield and Wisconsin–Oshkosh |
| 28 | 2001 | Grantham, PA | Stockton (1) | 3–2 | Redlands | Messiah and OWU | Messiah and OWU | Messiah and OWU |
| 29 | 2002 | Canton, NY | Messiah (2) | 1–0 | Otterbein | St. Lawrence and Trinity | St. Lawrence and Trinity | St. Lawrence and Trinity |
| 30 | 2003 | Madison, NJ | Trinity (1) | 2–1 | Drew | Wheaton (MA) and Wisconsin–Oshkosh | Wheaton (MA) and Wisconsin–Oshkosh | Wheaton (MA) and Wisconsin–Oshkosh |
| 31 | 2004 | Greensboro, NC | Messiah (3) | 4–0 | UC Santa Cruz | Geneseo State and Salisbury | Geneseo State and Salisbury | Geneseo State and Salisbury |
| 32 | 2005 | Greensboro, NC | Messiah (4) | 1–0 | Gustavus Adolphus | Plattsburgh State and Wheaton (IL) | Plattsburgh State and Wheaton (IL) | Plattsburgh State and Wheaton (IL) |
| 33 | 2006 | Lake Buena Vista, FL | Messiah (5) | 3–0 | Wheaton (IL) | NYU and OWU | NYU and OWU | NYU and OWU |
| 34 | 2007 | Lake Buena Vista, FL | Middlebury | 0–0 (4–3 p) | Trinity | Loras and Messiah | Loras and Messiah | Loras and Messiah |
| 35 | 2008 | Greensboro, NC | Messiah (6) | 1–1 (3–0 p) | Stevens | Amherst and Loras | Amherst and Loras | Amherst and Loras |
| 36 | 2009 | San Antonio, TX | Messiah (7) | 2–0 | Calvin | Dominican (IL) and Williams | Dominican (IL) and Williams | Dominican (IL) and Williams |
| 37 | 2010 | San Antonio, TX | Messiah (8) | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Lynchburg | Bowdoin and Wisconsin–Oshkosh | Bowdoin and Wisconsin–Oshkosh | Bowdoin and Wisconsin–Oshkosh |
| 38 | 2011 | San Antonio, TX | OWU (2) | 2–1 | Calvin | Montclair State and Oneonta State | Montclair State and Oneonta State | Montclair State and Oneonta State |
| 39 | 2012 | San Antonio, TX | Messiah (9) | 5–1 | Ohio Northern | Loras and Williams | Loras and Williams | Loras and Williams |
| 40 | 2013 | San Antonio, TX | Messiah (10) | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Rutgers–Camden | Loras and Williams | Loras and Williams | Loras and Williams |
| 41 | 2014 | Kansas, MO | Tufts | 4–2 | Wheaton (IL) | OWU and SUNY Oneonta | OWU and SUNY Oneonta | OWU and SUNY Oneonta |
| 42 | 2015 | Kansas, MO | Amherst (1) | 2–1 | Loras | Calvin and SUNY Oneonta | Calvin and SUNY Oneonta | Calvin and SUNY Oneonta |
| 43 | 2016 | Salem, VA | Tufts (2) | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Calvin | Brandeis and St. Thomas (MN) | Brandeis and St. Thomas (MN) | Brandeis and St. Thomas (MN) |
| 44 | 2017 | Greensboro, NC | Messiah (11) | 2–1 | North Park | Brandeis and Chicago | Brandeis and Chicago | Brandeis and Chicago |
| 45 | 2018 | Greensboro, NC | Tufts (3) | 2–1 | Calvin | Chicago and Rochester (NY) | Chicago and Rochester (NY) | Chicago and Rochester (NY) |
| 46 | 2019 | Greensboro, NC | Tufts (4) | 2–0 | Amherst | Calvin and Centre | Calvin and Centre | Calvin and Centre |
| – | 2020 | – | (Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic) | (Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic) | (Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic) | – | – | – |
| 47 | 2021 | Greensboro, NC | Connecticut College (1) | 1–1 (4–1 p) | Amherst | Chicago and Washington & Lee | Chicago and Washington & Lee | Chicago and Washington & Lee |
| 48 | 2022 | Greensboro, NC | Chicago (1) | 2–0 | Williams | Stevens and Mary Washington | Stevens and Mary Washington | Stevens and Mary Washington |
| 49 | 2023 | Salem, VA | St. Olaf (1) | 2–0 | Amherst | Washington and Lee and Washington (MD) | Washington and Lee and Washington (MD) | Washington and Lee and Washington (MD) |
| 50 | 2024 | Las Vegas, NV | Amherst (2) | 4–3 | Connecticut College | Middlebury and Washington & Lee | Middlebury and Washington & Lee | Middlebury and Washington & Lee |
| 51 | 2025 | Salem, VA | | | | | | |
| 52 | 2026 | Columbus, OH | | | | | | |
| 53 | 2027 | Pittsburgh, PA | | | | | | |

## Champions

| Team | Titles | Winning years |
| Messiah | 11 | 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017 |
| Tufts | 4 | 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019 |
| Babson | 3 | 1975, 1979, 1980 |
| Amherst | 2 | 2015, 2024 |
| Ohio Wesleyan | 2 | 1998, 2011 |
| Rowan | 2 | 1981, 1990 |
| Wheaton (IL) | 2 | 1984, 1997 |
| St. Olaf | 1 | 2023 |
| Chicago | 1 | 2022 |
| Connecticut | 1 | 2021 |
| Middlebury | 1 | 2007 |
| Trinity (TX) | 1 | 2003 |
| Stockton | 1 | 2001 |
| St. Lawrence | 1 | 1999 |
| TCNJ | 1 | 1996 |
| Williams | 1 | 1995 |
| Bethany (WV) | 1 | 1994 |
| Kean | 1 | 1992 |
| Elizabethtown | 1 | 1989 |
| Brandeis | 1 | 1976 |
| Brockport | 1 | 1974 |

### Former programs

| Team | Titles | Winning years |
| UNC Greensboro | 5 | 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987 |
| UC San Diego | 3 | 1988, 1991, 1993 |
| Lock Haven | 2 | 1977, 1978 |
* All of the above schools have reclassified their athletic programs from NCAA Division III. UC San Diego and UNC Greensboro are now Division I, and Lock Haven is Division II.