Men’s DI automatic bids locked up

by Travis Clark

November 11, 2018

The 24 automatic bids are set for the Men’s Division I tournament.

Conference tournaments were decided over the weekend, with the WCC, Pac-12 and Ivy League auto bids decided (those leagues don’t have tourneys).

Louisville captured the overall prize in the ACC. A first-half goal from junior midfielder Cherif Dieye was enough for the Cardinals. They held on for a 1-0 win against North Carolina in Cary, N.C.

Winning its second straight Big East conference tournament title in a row, Georgetown weathered an early storm from visiting Marquette, taking a 1-0 lead in the first half from a Brandon McDonough header. Ifunanyachi Achara made it 2-0 in the second half as the Hoyas secured the automatic bid and right on the cusp of a first-round bye.

When the bracket drops at 1 p.m. EST, Kentucky seems like a strong candidate for a top four seed. The Wildcats rolled to a Conference USA double, edging Charlotte by a 1-0 score, despite the fact the 49ers hosted the event. It took a bit of luck for UK, as Charlotte hit the post twice in the game’s first four minutes and outshot the Wildcats 12-3 in the first half. Junior JJ Williams punished Charlotte for failing to take the lead, as he scored the game’s lone goal 90 seconds into the second half.

Perhaps the biggest surprise to capture their respective conference crown was Grand Canyon. While no slouches, Air Force entered the WAC tournament as the heavy favorites. But the Lopes took down the No. 1 seed on Friday night and made sure it counted with a 1-0 win against the Falcons, the second time they’d beaten them in the span of two weeks. Marco Afonso scored the winning goal in the seventh minute to capture the automatic bid.

Below is a rundown of the 24 automatic bids

America East: New Hampshire
American Athletic: SMU
Atlantic 10: Rhode Island
ACC: Louisville
Atlantic Sun: Lipscomb
Big East: Georgetown
Big South: Campbell
Big Ten: Indiana
Big West: UC Riverside
CAA: James Madison
Conference USA: Kentucky
Horizon: UIC
Ivy: Princeton
MAAC: Rider
MAC: Akron
Missouri Valley: Central Arkansas
Northeast: LIU Brooklyn(m)
Pac-12: Stanford
Patriot League: Colgate
Southern: Furman
Summit League: Denver
Sun Belt: Georgia Southern
WCC: St. Mary's (CA)
WAC: Grand Canyon