CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – After a perfect opening round, nine Atlantic Coast Conference women’s soccer teams continue their NCAA Tournament campaigns on Thursday, November 20, with second-round action.
With a nation-best nine teams remaining, four ACC teams will serve as second- and third-round hosts, including top seeds Notre Dame, Stanford and Virginia. The Fighting Irish will host Ohio State, while the Cavaliers welcome No. 8 seed Penn State on Thursday. Both matches will kick off at 6 p.m. ET. The Cardinal will take on No. 8 Alabama for their second-round contest on Friday, November 21, at 10 p.m. ET.
No. 2 seed Duke will also host second- and third-round matchups, beginning with a meeting with No. 7 seed UCF on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
No. 3 seed Florida State, No. 6 seed Louisville, No. 7 seed Wake Forest, No. 8 seed Clemson and North Carolina will all hit the road for the first time in this year’s NCAA Tournament. In neutral-site matchups, the Seminoles will take on Lipscomb at 2 p.m. ET in Washington, D.C., and the Cardinals will head to Durham, North Carolina, to face third-seeded Kansas at 4 p.m. ET. The unseeded Tar Heels will travel to Fort Worth, Texas, to take on third-seeded Texas Tech.
Clemson and Wake Forest will play true road matches on Thursday, as the Tigers head to Vanderbilt for an 8 p.m. ET kickoff, and the Demon Deacons visit Michigan State at 6 p.m. ET.
The 44th edition of the Women’s College Cup will be played December 5 and 8 at CPKC Stadium, with the University of Kansas and Kansas City Sports Commission serving as hosts. The first national semifinal will be played and broadcast live on ESPNU at 6 p.m. ET on Friday, December 5, followed by the second semifinal beginning at approximately 8:45 p.m. ET, also live on ESPNU. The national championship match will take place at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, December 8, and will air live on ESPNU.
NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament
First Round Results
Friday, November 14
at #3 Florida State 4, Samford 0
at #2 Duke 3, Elon 0
at #7 Wake Forest 2, South Carolina 1
at #8 Clemson 2, Liberty 1
at #1 Virginia 5, High Point 0
at #1 Stanford 3, Cal Poly 1
North Carolina 3, at #3 Tennessee 1
Saturday, November 15
at #6 Louisville 1, Kentucky 1
(Louisville advances 5-4 in penalties)
at #1 Notre Dame 4, UIC 0
Second Round Schedule (All Times ET)
Thursday, November 20
#3 Florida State vs. Lipscomb | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
(at Washington D.C.)
#6 Louisville vs. #3 Kansas | 4 p.m. | ESPN+
(at Durham, N.C.)
North Carolina vs. #6 Texas Tech | 5 p.m. | ESPN+
(at Fort Worth, Texas)
Ohio State at #1 Notre Dame | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
#8 Penn State at #1 Virginia | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
#7 Wake Forest at #2 Michigan State | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
#7 UCF at #2 Duke | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN+
#8 Clemson at #1 Vanderbilt | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Friday, November 21
#8 Alabama at #1 Stanford | 10 p.m. | ESPN+
Noting ACC Women’s Soccer
• Nine ACC teams remain in the NCAA Tournament field, the most among all conferences.
• Combined with last season’s results, the ACC is now 17-0-1 in first-round matchups over the past two seasons.
• Nine ACC teams earned bids to the 2025 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship, matching last season's total and tying for the second-most in conference history. The nine teams also tie for the most among all conferences.
• The ACC has earned 56 bids to the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship since 2019, the most among all conferences during that span. The next closest total is 52 (SEC).
• Notre Dame, Stanford, and Virginia earned No. 1 seeds, marking the first time the ACC has had three No. 1 seeds in the same tournament since 2021.
• Excluding the shortened tournament field in 2020, the ACC has had multiple No. 1 seeds in eight consecutive years. No other conference has had multiple No. 1 seeds since 2016.
• The ACC has stockpiled victories in the NCAA Tournament, recording 109 wins since 2019. The next closest conference has just 59 wins in that span.
• After the first round of the NCAA Tournament, ACC teams are 87-19-26 against non-conference opponents, including a 17-9-8 record against peer power conferences.
• North Carolina claimed its 23rd national championship with a 1-0 victory over Wake Forest in the final of the 2024 Women's College Cup. The title was UNC's 22nd NCAA championship, following its AIAW National Championship in 1981.
• The title was the ACC's 26th women's soccer national championship overall. Current league members have combined to win 32 national titles (North Carolina – 22, Florida State – 4, Stanford – 3 and Notre Dame – 3). No school outside the ACC has won more than two national titles.
• For the first time in Women's College Cup history, the ACC sent all four teams to the national semifinals in 2024, as Duke, North Carolina, Stanford, and Wake Forest all advanced. It marked the first time a conference has sent four teams to the Women's College Cup.
• Since 2019, the ACC has sent 13 teams to the Women's College Cup, the most among all conferences. The next closest total is five.
• After a 2-2 draw that went to double overtime, top-seeded Stanford claimed its first-ever ACC Women’s Soccer title last Sunday, defeating second-seeded Notre Dame 5-4 on penalty kicks.
• Stanford became the first first-time winner of the ACC Women’s Soccer title since Florida State earned its first in 2011.
• A nation-best seven ACC teams are ranked in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll, including the top two spots and four in the top 10: Stanford (No. 1), Notre Dame (No. 2), Florida State (No. 6), Virginia (No. 7), Duke (No. 11), Louisville (No. 20), and Clemson (No. 24). Wake Forest is currently receiving votes.
• Five different ACC teams have been ranked No. 1 this season: North Carolina (1 week), Duke (1 week), Stanford (3 weeks), Notre Dame (3 weeks) and Virginia (4 weeks).
• Over the last 33 weeks of the United Soccer Coaches Poll, dating back to 2023, an ACC team has been ranked No. 1 in all but three weeks.
• A nation-best seven ACC teams were in the top 25 of the final RPI, including the top three teams: Notre Dame (No. 1), Virginia (No. 2), Stanford (No. 3), Florida State (No. 10), Duke (No. 11), Louisville (No. 15) and North Carolina (No. 25).