While the tournament resulted in few upsets, most national soccer headlines were made behind Charlotte's run to the championship. Although nationally ranked throughout portions of the regular season, the 49ers entered the tournament through an at-large bid, and were not seeded. Despite that, the 49ers were able to defeat defending champions, the Akron Zips, 1–0 in the third round, before defeating the Connecticut Huskies 4–2 in a penalty shootout to advance to the College Cup. Joining the Tar Heels and the 49ers in the College Cup included the UCLA Bruins and the Creighton Bluejays.

With the victory in the national final, the Tar Heels won their second NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship in program history. It was also the first time in the history of the UNC Charlotte Athletics Program that a team reached a national championship. In 1996, Charlotte reached the College Cup before being eliminated.

A total of 48 teams will qualify into the tournament proper, either automatically, or through an at-large bid that is determined by a selection committee. Each conference that field varsity soccer teams are admitted one automatic berth into the tournament. Depending on the conference, that automatic berth is either given the champions of the regular season, or the tournament that culminates the regular season. Twenty-two teams earn automatic bids into the tournament, while 26 enter through an at-large bid.

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Wikipedia