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2026 D3 Soccer Championships: Selection Show, Schedule

By: Eli Hershkovich | Published November 5, 2026 | Updated November 5, 2026 | 3 minutes read
D3 Soccer

The NCAA will announce the Division III men’s and women’s soccer championship fields Monday, Nov. 9, as 128 teams prepare for the D3 soccer postseason tournaments.

Both selection shows will stream live, beginning with the men’s announcement at 11 a.m., followed by the women’s at 11:30 a.m. ET. Each tournament features 64 teams competing for a national championship, with the final stages scheduled for Dec. 3-6 at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

Here’s what to know about the 2026 D3 soccer championships, including selection show information, tournament dates, qualification criteria and championship details.


2026 Division III Soccer Championship Selection Show: Date, Time & How to Watch

On Monday, Nov. 9, the NCAA will announce the men’s and women’s soccer tournament fields during separate selection shows. All times listed below are Eastern.

Men’s selection show: 11 a.m.

Women’s selection show: 11:30 a.m.

Where to watch: Live streams on NCAA.com

Both the men’s and women’s championships feature a 64-team, single-elimination bracket.

The selection committees determine the automatic qualifiers and at-large bids before releasing the D3 soccer tournament fields. After the selections, the NCAA announces first- and second-round host sites.

Following those results, the NCAA will reveal the four sectional locations Sunday, Nov. 15.


How Many Teams Make the Division III Soccer Tournaments?

Both D3 soccer championships include 64 teams, but the number of automatic qualifiers and at-large selections differs between the men’s and women’s fields.

For this year’s tournaments, the NCAA has allocated bids as follows:

QualificationMen’s SoccerWomen’s Soccer
Automatic Qualifiers4243
At-large Selections2221
Total teams6464

For D3 soccer programs, those provisions could affect how the NCAA approaches student-athlete representation and oversight across its membership.


How the NCAA Power Index (NPI) Works

The NPI helps the NCAA evaluate teams competing for at-large tournament bids. Its calculation incorporates five factors: winning percentage, strength of schedule, home-away multiplier, quality win bonus and overtime results (when applicable).

NCAA selection committees use the NPI to determine at-large selections after designating automatic qualifiers. The system also informs the tournaments’ seeding and bracketing.


2026 NCAA Men’s & Women’s Soccer Championship Schedule

Both D3 Soccer tournaments begin with preliminary-round competition at campus sites before advancing to the national semifinals in Columbus.

RoundDate
Selection showsNov. 9
First and second roundsNov. 14-15
Sectional roundsNov. 21-22
Men’s semifinalsDec. 3
Women’s semifinalsDec. 4
Men’s championshipDec. 5
Women’s championshipDec. 6

The first and second rounds will feature 16 four-team sites. The 16 second-round winners will advance to four sectional sites, with each sectional winner earning a spot in the national semifinals.

Institutions with NCAA-approved Sunday no-play policies will compete Friday and Saturday instead of Saturday and Sunday during the preliminary rounds.


2026 D3 Men’s Soccer Championship: Schedule & Location

Four teams will compete for the D3 soccer national championship at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

Capital University and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission will host the festivities.

Semifinals: Thursday, Dec. 3, at 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

National championship: Saturday, Dec. 5, at noon

The two semifinal winners will go toe-to-toe for the NCAA Division III men’s soccer national title.


2026 D3 Women’s Soccer Championship: Schedule & Location

The women’s D3 soccer championship will follow the men’s semifinals at Historic Crew Stadium.

Like the men’s side, four teams will compete for a place in the title game, which concludes the 2026 NCAA Division III women’s soccer season.

Semifinals: Friday, Dec. 4, at 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

National championship: Sunday, Dec. 6, at noon

The semifinal winners will advance to Sunday’s national championship match.


2026 D3 Men’s & Women’s Soccer Brackets

The NCAA will release the official 64-team brackets for both championships during the Nov. 9 selection shows.

2026 D3 Men’s Soccer Bracket: Updates coming Nov. 9.

2026 D3 Women’s Soccer Bracket: Updates coming Nov. 9.

Brackets will include first-round matchups, regional placement, team seeds and each program’s potential route to the D3 soccer semifinals. The selections will also announce first- and second-round host sites.

YD3 will provide updates, opening-round matchups and results during the D3 men’s and women’s soccer championships.

EH

Eli Hershkovich

Eli Hershkovich is the Head of Content at YD3. A sports journalist with over a decade of experience, Eli has covered professional and college sports for media organizations including Audacy and Sporting News. His work at YD3 Network combines original reporting and storytelling to explore the behind-the-scenes perspectives that define Division III athletics.

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