For the fifth straight season, Clemson United will be dancing in the NCAA College Cup.
Clemson’s men’s soccer secured the No. 9 seed in the 2023 College Cup, earning themselves a first-round bye and a second-round game at Historic Riggs Field.
The Tigers have not lost since they fell to Wake Forest on Sept. 22, currently ranking as one of the best-scoring teams across the NCAA. This hot streak helped the Tigers in the ACC Tournament, where they raised the ACC Championship trophy on Sunday afternoon after defeating the Tar Heels on penalties to win their first ACC title since 2020.
Head coach Mike Noonan and his team will hope for a success similar to their 2021 season, where Clemson hoisted their third national championship trophy.
The last time fans saw the Tigers in the College Cup was on Nov. 20, 2022, when Clemson fell to the UCLA Bruins. The reigning champions were kicked out of the tournament at home, and now the team is looking for revenge.
Another advantage that the Tigers have is the number of teams that they have played that also made the tournament. The team has six previous opponents who are also dancing, headlined by Notre Dame and North Carolina, who are the No. 2 and No. 3 seed, respectively.
Six other teams in the College Cup reside in the ACC as well, so there are plenty of usual suspects that Clemson will be familiar with playing if they make a deep run in the tournament.
Noonan and his squad will find out their opponent on Nov. 16; they will host either Charlotte or High Point at Historic Riggs Field on Sunday, Nov. 19, with the time to be determined.
If Clemson is successful in their first tournament game, they will face either Syracuse, Boston University or No. 8-seeded New Hampshire.
Regardless of the opponent, the quest for the Tigers’ fourth national championship will begin this weekend.
