Indianapolis, Ind. - November 9, 2026 - Wheaton College and Babson College have been selected to compete in the Division III Men’s Soccer National Championship Tournament as the NCAA announced on its selection show on Monday morning.
Wheaton enters the field as the 2026 New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Men’s Soccer Champions, while Babson earned an at-large berth after another successful fall season. The 2026 NCAA Division III Men’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).
Wheaton (11-2-6), ranked 31st in the final NPI ranking, will travel to Middlebury College for a first round matchup with Hobart (10-3-4). On the other side of this weekend’s pod are the host Panthers (10-2-3) and Saint Joseph’s College of Maine (9-2-8). Middlebury is ranked 10th in the latest United Soccer Coaches Division III National Coaches Poll and second in the NPI, while Saint Joseph’s is 146th in the NPI after winning the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). Middlebury (NESCAC) and Hobart (Liberty) were at-large selections from their respective conferences. Wheaton is 1-1 against Hobart, 1-1 against Middlebury and 6-0-1 against Saint Joseph’s Maine. Wheaton, coming off an elite eight appearance in last year’s tournament, is making its 12th trip to the NCAA championship and is 13-9-3 in 25 total games.
Babson (10-2-6), ranked 25th in the final NPI ranking, will travel to Tufts University for a first round matchup wth SUNY Oneonta (13-2-2). Oneonta and Babson will meet for the second straight season in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. In last year’s meeting the Beavers won by a 1-0 final score. On the other side of this weekend’s pod are the host Jumbos (10-3-5) and Penn State Abington (13-4-4). Tufts is ranked fourth in the United Soccer Coaches Division III National Coaches Poll and in the NPI, Oneonta is 33rd in the NPI and Abington is 121st in the NPI. Babson and Oneonta were at-large selections to this year’s tournament, while Tufts was crowned champions of the NESCAC and Abington won the United East title. Babson is 1-2-0 all-time against Oneonta with the last meeting coming in 2025, is 9-11-3 all-time against Tufts and has never faced Penn State Abington. The Beavers, entering their 34th NCAA Tournament, are 36-23-8 all-time in the NCAA championship tournament and has won there national championship titles (1975, 1979, 1980).
The national semifinal and championship games will be hosted in Columbus, Ohio on December 3 and 5, 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.