Indianapolis, Ind. - November 9, 2026 - After winning the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) women’s soccer title on Saturday, fourth-ranked MIT has been selected to compete in the Division III National Championship Tournament and host a first weekend pod as the league’s automatic qualifier as the NCAA announced on its selection show on Monday morning.
The 2026 NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer National Championship bracket features 64 programs from across the country - 43 of which earned their respective conference’s automatic berth via championship title and 21 via at-large selection per the NCAA National Power Index (NPI).
MIT (20-2-1), ranked fourth in the latest United Soccer Coaches/Intercollegiate Women’s Soccer Organization for Coaches and 16th in the final NPI ranking, will host a first weekend pod and will play Eastern Connecticut State University (13-2-2) champions of the Little East Conference on Saturday. In the other first round game on Roberts Field, No. 7 nationally-ranked Messiah University (19th in NPI) will take on Nazareth University (53rd in NPI). The winners of both matches will meet in a second round contest on Sunday, November 15. Messiah (14-2-3) won the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom title, while Nazareth (13-3-3) was crowned champions of the Empire 8.
MIT has made 14 appearances in the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament and has advanced to the second weekend of action five times, most recently in 2025. The Engineers are 15-9-5 all-time in the national tournament, but have never faced Eastern Connecticut State. MIT is 0-2 all-time against Messiah with the last meeting coming in 2017 and 0-1 against Nazareth with the only other meeting coming in 2009.
The national semifinal and championship games will be hosted in Columbus, Ohio on December 4 and 6, 2026.
About the NEWMAC
The NEWMAC is an association of 13 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Saint Anselm College (beginning reclassification process with NCAA in 2027-28), Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with seven Associate Members: New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 21 sports.