Clemson awarded No. 1 overall seed in NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament

CLEMSON, S.C. — The Clemson men’s soccer team received the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament during the men’s soccer selection show Monday afternoon.

This is the first time since 1998 that Clemson will enter the NCAA Tournament as the top-seeded team. By virtue of being the tournament’s top seed, Clemson has received a first-round bye and will wait to face the winner of Jacksonville and American on May 2.

The 2020 NCAA Tournament will serve as Clemson’s 33rd all-time appearance and its seventh in the past eight seasons. During the 2019 NCAA Tournament, Clemson received the No. 2 seed and won its first two matches against Charlotte and Providence before earning a draw against Stanford and falling in PK’s, 5-4, during the tournament’s quarterfinal round. The men’s soccer program has won two national championships in 1984 and 1987, with the 1987 championship being won in Clemson at Riggs Field against San Diego State.

#ClemsonUnited has received the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament! ?? pic.twitter.com/KzGlJwGbyR

— Clemson Men's Soccer (@ClemsonMSoccer) April 19, 2021

Clemson will enter this year’s tournament with an overall record of 13-3-2, with three of the Tigers’ wins coming against the nation’s top-ranked team at the time of the match. The Tigers punched their ticket to this year’s tournament after toppling No. 1 Pittsburgh, 2-0, on Saturday, April 17 at Historic Riggs Field to receive the ACC’s automatic bid. Following Saturday’s result, Clemson improved its unbeaten streak at home to 25 consecutive matches, a streak that ranks third all-time in program history.

The Men’s & Women’s NCAA Tournaments will take place entirely in North Carolina, as announced by the NCAA on March 25. WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., will play host to all College Cup matches this season, with the men’s semifinal matches set for May 14 and the national championship match scheduled for May 17.