Here's when BYU, Utah State will host the NCAA Tournament
The Cougars and Aggies are back in the NCAA Tournament, and won't be playing each other. They'll each host a game Friday on their respective home fields.
No. 25 Utah State and BYU aren’t just back in the NCAA women’s soccer tournament together for the second consecutive season.
They’ll both host a game this Friday.
Following a record-breaking season and back-to-back Mountain West Tournament titles, the Aggies (18-1-4) will host Big Ten foe Washington at Chuck and Gloria Bell Field in Logan on Friday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. MT.
Back in the NCAA Tournament for the seventh-straight season, BYU (9-6-5) will host West Coast Conference champion Santa Clara at 6 p.m. MT Friday at South Field in Provo.
It’s a rare milestone for both programs, including the first-ever host seed for Utah State. Normally, the NCAA tournament selection committee has relied on regional rankings to open the first round of the 64-team tournament, with the top-32 advancing to one of eight campus sites for the second and third round.
That means that the Cougars and Aggies have occasionally been matched up against each other. But because of Utah State’s 2-1 win over BYU earlier this season in Provo — and because both teams were approved as host sites — the two Utah campuses will host a pair of games on the same day for the first time ever.
“We knew that we would be because we were an automatic qualifier and we knew there was a chance that we could host, but you never know until the selection show comes out,” said Utah State coach Manny Martins, who signed a contract extension through 2027 after the Aggies’ record-setting regular season. “It’s great to bring an NCAA Tournament game to Cache Valley for the first time ever. I know our community has been very supportive and excited behind our team and we’ve been good at home, so we’re really excited.
“Excited to host this game and see where it takes us.”
BYU is back in the NCAA Tournament for the seventh-straight year and 25th time in head coach Jennifer Rockwood’s 30 seasons at the helm.
After starting off the season 1-2-2 amid a brutal nonconference schedule, the Cougars went unbeaten in the final five matches of the regular season to finish 6-2-3 in Big 12 play and earned the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament in Kansas City — where the club routed Oklahoma State, 5-0 a week after a 2-1 win over then-No. 14 Texas Tech.
The Cougars are one of seven teams from the Big 12 in the tournament, including Texas Tech (14-4-2), which earned a No. 8 seed opposite LSU in the first round; fifth-seeded TCU (16-3-2), which will host Stephan F. Austin; and Big 12 Tournament champion Kansas (13-5-4), which will travel to A-10 champion and eighth-seeded Saint Louis (14-1-6).
West Virginia (12-5-2) will make its 23rd NCAA Tournament appearance in program history when it travels to fifth-seeded Kentucky, and Colorado (11-4-5) will open the tournament at No. 7 Georgia.
Oklahoma State (12-5-2) will travel to second-seeded Arkansas for the first round.
Second and third rounds for the tournament will be played Nov. 22 and 24, with the quarterfinal round over Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 29 or 30.
The 2024 Women’s College Cup is scheduled for Dec. 6 and 9, at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, home of the NWSL’s North Carolina Courage.