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College Soccer News’ Bracketologist Issues Initial Predictions of the 2018 NCAA Tournament Field

October 18, 2018 – College Soccer News' veteran bracketologist has utilized the data currently available to predict the forty-eight teams in the 2018 NCAA Tournament field, the sixteen seeds, and the match-ups.  The predictions are based on the most recent RPI issued and a projection of the conference champions who will earn an automatic berth.  The analysis uses the same criteria the selection committee will utilize which includes win-loss records, geography, recent team play, quality wins, and the head-to head match-ups that have taken place to date. 

The bracketologist will update his predictions as additional information becomes available. The RPI will no doubt change as the season progresses which will impact the selections.

Conference championships and the automatic berths that go with them will not be known until conference tournaments have been completed or regular season play has ended in those cases where conference tournaments are not held.  The predictions of conference champions reflect current standings and do not take into account expected future results. 

The predictions do not reflect any national polls nor are they an attempt to gague who the best teams are.  The selections predict what the NCAA Tournament field would be if the committee were to make their selections today.  

The NCAA Tournament field, the seeds, and the brackets will be announced on November 12, 2018.  



#1 Wake Forest Region 

First Round:  Georgia Southern (Sun Belt Automatic) at Charlotte (Conference USA #2)

Second Round:  Winner at #1 Wake Forest (Atlantic Coast Conference Automatic)


First Round:  Fairfield (MAAC Automatic) at Colgate (Patriot League #2)

Second Round:  Winner at #16 Connecticut (American Athletic Conference Automatic)


First Round:  Oregon State (Pac-12 #3) at U.C. Irvine (Big West Automatic)

Second Round:  Winner at #8 Saint Mary's (West Coast Conference Automatic)


First Round:  LIU (Northeast Conference Automatic) at Cornell (Ivy League #2)

Second Round:  Winner at #9 Syracuse (Atlantic Coast Conference #6) 



#2 Indiana Region

First Round:  Loyola Chicago (Missouri Valley Conference Automatic) at UIC (Horizon League #2)

Second Round:  Winner at #2 Indiana (Big Ten Automatic)


First Round:  FGCU (Atlantic Sun Automatic) at UCF (American Athletic Conference #2) 

Second Round:  Winner at. #15 Virginia Tech (Atlantic Coast Conference #8) 


First Round:  Georgetown (Big East #2) at Air Force (Western Athletic Conference Automatic)

Second Round:  Winner at #7 Notre Dame (Atlantic Coast Conference #5)


First Round:  Mercer (Southern Conference Automatic) at North Carolina State (Atlantic Coast Conference #9) 

Second Round:  Winner at #10 Denver (Summit League Automatic)



#3 Virginia Region 

First Round:  Pacific (West Coast Conferene #3) at UCLA (Pac-12 #2)

Second Round:  Winner at #3 Virginia (Atlantic Coast Conference #2)


First Round:  Princeton (Ivy League Automatic) at New Hampshire (America East #2)

Second Round:  Winner at #14 Rhode Island (Atlantic 10 #2)


First Round:  Michigan (Big Ten #3) at Wright State (Horizon League Automatic)

Second Round:  Winner at #6 Louisville (Atlantic Coast Conference #4)


First Round:  High Point University (Big South Automatic) at UNCW (Colonial Athletic Association #2) 

Second Round:  Winner at #11 Duke University (Atlantic Coast Conference #7)



#4 North Carolina Region

First Round:  VCU (Atlantic 10 Automatic) at James Madison (Colonial Athletic Association Automatic)

Second Round:  Winner at #4 North Carolina (Atlantic Coast Conference #2)


First Round:  Lehigh (Patriot League Automatic) at Stanford (Pac-12 Automatic)

Second Round:  Winner at #13 Portland (West Coast Conference #2)


First Round:  West Virginia (MAC Automatic) at Michigan State (Big Ten #2)

Second Round:  Winner at #5 Kentucky (CUSA Automatic)


First Round:  Stony Brook (America East Automatic) at SIUE (MAC #2) 

Second Round:  Winner at #12 Creighton (Big East Automatic)



Last Four At Large Selections

Michigan

Georgetown

Oregon State

Pacific 



Last Four Out

Washington

UC Davis

Saint Louis

CSUN 



Conference Breakdown

America East 2
American Athletic  2
Atlantic Coast  9
Atlantic Sun 1
Atlantic 10 2
Big East 2
Big South 1
Big Ten 3
Big West  1
Colonial Athletic 2
Conference USA 2
Horizon League 2
Ivy League 2
Metro Atlantic  1
Mid American 2
Missouri Valley 1
Northeast 1
Pac-12 3
Patriot League 2
Southern  1
Summit League 1
Sun Belt 1
Western Athletic  1
West Coast  3
Total  48


 

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