Sports are better with rivalries, and in college athletics that idea is always present. It can reach the point where it does not even matter if it is a sport you normally follow.
NCAA soccer usually takes a back seat to baseball, basketball, and football, but it takes center stage this week as the NCAA Soccer Tournament begins. This year, three Florida schools are competing. UNF, UCF, and FAU each had strong seasons and now look to make a cinderella run in the tournament. All three secured automatic bids by winning their conference tournaments, which they needed because even with impressive records and ranked wins, they were unlikely to receive at-large consideration.
FAU advanced by defeating rival FIU in the soccer version of the Shula Bowl to claim its first AAC Tournament championship. UNF won in overtime against Stetson and then defeated the top seed Bellarmine, also in overtime, to win its conference title. UCF, however, is the team that has gained national attention. The Knights went through a tough path in the Sun Belt Tournament. They beat ranked Kentucky in the semifinals and then beat ranked Marshall in the final, a team that finished as national runner-up in 2024. That run secured UCF its place in the tournament.
UCF enters the NCAA Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the country with a record of 10-6-3. The Knights now open the tournament with a matchup that raises the stakes even more. Their first-round opponent is FAU. It’s so rare to get these rivalries in the postseason they get magnified tenfold making it a match people will talk about for the rest of there life. The biggest event on UCF campus is happening on Thursday when the Knights host the Owls. The winner moves on to face Georgetown, one of the top programs in college soccer.
UCF’s momentum has led to comparisons to the UConn team led by Kemba Walker. That group entered its postseason with a record that did not stand out, but it caught fire at the right time and went on a memorable run. UCF sits at 10-6-3, but after its performance in the Sun Belt Tournament, the Knights have shown that they might have what it takes to challenge a program like Georgetown. Once the tournament begins, anything can happen, and UCF has built a case that it can compete with national powers.
UNF also faces a difficult path. The Ospreys drew UNC in the first round, and the winner advances to play the number two seed Maryland.
FL Teams will continue to follow the tournament to track whether UNF, UCF, or FAU can put together a memorable run. Stay tuned for full coverage as the NCAA men’s soccer tournament progresses.