The NCAA has conducted a men's college soccer championship since 1959, long before the NCAA divided its membership into three divisions. It took the NCAA much longer to begin conducting a women's championship. In 1972 Title IX was passed, which created an equal playing field for men and women in college athletics. It wasn't until 1982 that the first NCAA women's college soccer championship took place.
Men's Champions
St. Louis University was the first dynasty of men's college soccer, winning five of the first seven titles, starting in 1959. The Billikens also won the first crown when NCAA schools were divided into three divisions in 1973. It was also the last of St. Louis's 10 national championships. The first dynasty of the Division I era was the San Francisco University, which won four championships between 1975 and 1980. San Francisco had to vacate its 1978 title due to NCAA violations.
Noted Men's Programs
As of 2010, Indiana University has the second most NCAA championships. The Hoosiers won the first of their seven titles in 1982. They won back-to-back crowns in each of the last three decades: 1982-83, 1998-99 and 2003-04. Virginia has also consistently ruled the men's landscape in the Division I era. The Cavaliers actually shared their first title with Santa Clara in 1989. They won four straight championships between 1991 and 1994 and also claimed the title in 2009.
Women's Champions
The history of Division I women's soccer begins with the University of North Carolina. The Tar Heels captured 14 of the first 16 national titles, starting with the initial championship in 1982. George Mason, in 1982, and the University of Notre Dame, in 1995, were the only two schools to snap UNC's string of championships between 1982 and 1997. The Tar Heels claimed 19 titles between 1982 and 2009.
Noted Women's Programs
Over the years the rest of women's college soccer has caught up with North Carolina, although the Tar Heels remain a major player. In 2010, Notre Dame captured its third championship; the Fighting Irish also claimed the title in 1995 and 2004. The only other women's program to have more than one championship is the University of Portland, which won in 2002 and 2005.
Member Comments