Mississippi State soccer is ready for the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs are in the midst of the best season in program history. They're 17-2, won the SEC regular season title, and are ranked as a Top-3 team in the country by all metrics.
On Monday, we'll learn where State will land in the official tournament bracket. The selection show for the tournament will be livestreamed on NCAA.com Monday at 3:00 PM CT. For those in the Starkville area, you can attend a watch party with the team held at the Gridiron Club at Davis Wade Stadium.
Join us Monday as we learn our path through the @NCAASoccer Postseason!
— Mississippi State Soccer (@HailStateSOC) November 10, 2024
» Photo opportunities with both the SEC Championship & Magnolia Cup
» Player Meet and Greet
» Autograph Session
Gates open at 2 p.m. - Enter through gate G1!#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/Ufg2fe9YpT
So where will Mississippi State be seeded? They should be one of the highest-seeded teams in the entire field.
Mississippi State soccer should be a 1-seed in NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament
After the season they've had, there's no question that Bulldog soccer should earn a 1-seed in the NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament. State is the #3 team in the RPI rankings. They own wins over #5 Arkansas, at #13 South Carolina, #18 Texas, and #22 Kentucky. That's a fantastic collection of wins, and their only losses came on the road at #7 Wake Forest and to the Gamecocks on a neutral site. Their 17 wins is the most of any team in the Top-15 of the RPI.
And when you look at some of the teams competing for a 1-seed with State, it's hard to argue them ahead of them. Duke and North Carolina will almost certainly be top seed, but the Bulldogs are higher in the RPI than USC, Arkansas, Florida State, and Wake Forest. Of that group, only one (USC) won a regular season conference title like State, and only FSU won their conference tournament.
State owns a better win than both USC and Arkansas. They obviously beat the Razorbacks head-to-head, and USC has some ties that aren't great for the resume. While Wake Forest did beat the Bulldogs head-to-head, the Demon Deacons have a worse record and had some lackluster ties. FSU's collection of wins and ACC Tournament title gives them a good case, but similar to these other teams, they own both a loss and a tie that are worse than what State has on their resume.
In an argument of five teams for two spots, I think Mississippi State has to be one of your two. Women's Soccer analyst Chris Henderson seems to think so as well.
OK, seeding.
— Chris Henderson (@chris_awk) November 9, 2024
Duke and North Carolina are clear #1s.
Between Wake, FSU, and Mississippi State for the other two #1s.
I'll defer to RPI ranking, so Mississippi State and Florida State it is.
What would a 1-seed mean for Bulldog soccer?
Earning a 1-seed would be massive for Mississippi State soccer. Beyond the accomplishment of earning the highest seed in program history, becoming a 1-seed in just their fourth ever tournament appearance, it would give the Bulldogs a clear path to go on a deep run.
1-seeds own homefield advantage all the way through the Elite Eight of the tournament. That means that if State were to keep winning through that point, they wouldn't leave Starkville until the Final Four. Seeing as how State is undefeated in Starkville this season, that would be a huge edge for the program.
Now regardless of their seed, MSU soccer has proven themselves to be one of the very best teams in the country. They're a legitimate national title contender and are capable of winning regardless of their path. Hopefully they're awarded a seed they deserve on Monday.