North Carolina will host all Men’s and Women’s Championships starting in April
NCAA picks UNCW as site for Division 1 Soccer Championship matches
By Jon Evans | March 25, 2021 at 10:04 PM EDT – Updated March 31 at 11:51 AM
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – UNCW is one of several sites that will host Division 1 college soccer tournament matches, according to information from the NCAA.
A post on the NCAA website says the Division I Competition Oversight Committee approved a proposal to have all games of Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships in North Carolina at UNCW starting in April. The tournaments will consist of 48 women’s teams and 36 men’s teams. The move is effective for this year’s championships, which were postponed last fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re thrilled to be selected to host NCAA soccer games,” said Jimmy Bass, UNCW’s athletic director. “Our soccer programs continue to be a source of pride for us and this speaks to their reputation on the national level. This will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase our university and community to visiting teams and their fans.”
The UNCW Soccer Stadium has hosted three NCAA games: (UNCW vs. Bucknell in 2014), (UNCW vs. Presbyterian in 2017) and (UNCW vs. Furman in 2018).
Along with UNCW, other college campus venues selected to host tournament matches include UNC Greensboro, Wake Forest, East Carolina University and Campbell. Off-campus sites for matches include Bryan Park in Greensboro, J. Burt Gillette Athletic Complex in Wilson, Sportsplex in Matthews and WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, where the finals will be held from May 13-17.
Selections for both championships will be April 19. Other dates for the tournaments are:
First round — Women, April 27-28; Men, April 29.
Second round — Women, April 30-May 1; Men, May 2.
Third round — Women, May 5; Men, May 6.
Quarterfinals — Women, May 9; Men, May 10.
According to the article on ncaa.com, “the Division I Men’s and Women’s Soccer Committees believe having both championships in one geographic location will minimize travel and condense the overall time to conduct the championships. It also minimizes the number of local and state health jurisdiction guidelines by which to abide. In addition, the proposal centralizes and provides efficiencies for COVID-19 testing sites and setup”.
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