Boston College & Virginia- Also known together as the perennial next big thing. Home of scores of highly touted recruits, including the clan DiMartino of BC, but little in the trophy cabinet. Usually able to navigate the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament with ease before falling to more seasoned opposition before the College Cup proper. Could win a national title within the next five years…could also get a coaching staff fired.

Cal – Home to 2009′s most engrossing college soccer soap opera, when coach Neil McGuire abruptly walked out on the team prompting much teeth gnashing and enraged Tweets from star striker Alex Morgan. McGuire then abruptly came back to the team, and they rallied to make the NCAA Tournament before losing in the second round. Did I mention this team has U-20 World Cup Winner and full US International Alex Morgan on it? Did I mention a team with Alex Morgan on it hasn’t won anything? Serial underachievers.

UConn – The Buffalo Bills of NCAA Soccer. Have made four finals and lost all four to North Carolina. Currently in a state of semi-decline. Produced WPS Rookie of the Year contender Brittany Taylor.

Florida – 1998 NCAA Champions and the ten ton Goliath of SEC Soccer. Famed home of Abby Wambach and Heather Mitts. No longer a major threat for a national title but still the queens of the SEC. Also almost guaranteed to be sent away from home during the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament despite being a seeded team.

Florida State – The veritable United Nations of college soccer with five international players on the 2010 roster. Past alumni includes the Atlanta Beat’s Mami Yamaguchi, who won the Hermann Trophy (given to the best college player of the season) while at FSU. Managed by Mark Krikorian, who coached the WUSA’s Philadelphia Charge. A favorite of neutrals for their attacking, cultured football.

North Carolina – Twenty-time national champions (including a run of nine straight from 1986-1994)…that’s eighteen titles more than their closest rivals. Coached by the arrogant, brilliant, and controversial Anson Dorrance, a man so complex he’s had a book written about him while also facing a lawsuit from an ex-player. Famed for their 3-4-3 formation, attacking football, and direct style of play. Home to scores of past, present, and future professionals and US National Team members.

Notre Dame – Twice champions, five time defeated finalists…all five losses came to North Carolina, who the Irish have never beaten in the title game. Perennial contenders first under Chris Petrucelli and now Randy Waldrum. Famous alumni include US National Team star Shannon Boxx.

Penn State – Winners of twelve consecutive Big Ten titles, but yet to lift the biggest prize or even have an opportunity to play for the title. Current coach Erica Walsh has yet to reach national heights of her predecessor (and current Wisconsin coach), Paula Wilkins. Features top level talent including full U.S. international Christine Nairn and prolific scorer Danielle Toney and produced current Boston Breakers goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.

Portland – Two times champion and reigning queens of attendance, the Pilots averaged more fans in 2009 than WPS teams FC Gold Pride, Philadelphia Independence, and Sky Blue FC have in 2010 to this point. Once home to US National team stars Tiffeny Milbrett, Shannon MacMillan, and current FC Gold Pride goal machine Christine Sinclair as well as famed coach Clive Charles. Also blessed with rabid, expectant, and sometimes irrational fans growing impatient with a recent drought of College Cup appearances and almost always annoyed with a perceived bias against them from the NCAA selection committee when they inevitably have to travel away from cushy Merlo Field in November.

Santa Clara – 2001 champions and 2002 runners up, The Broncos are the other power in the West Coast Conference along with Portland. Enjoyed a mini-revival in 2009 after a few lean years (or in the case of 2008, a very lean year). Alumni include Brandi Chastain, Aly Wagner, and current Boston Breakers Rookie of the Year candidate Jordan Angeli.

USC – Proof that you should be careful what you wish for. Broke the hegemony of the usual suspects walking away with the title when they topped Florida State in 2007, but did it with a cynical, anti-football that depended heavily on the form of Amy Rodriguez while kicking the stuffing out of opponents. Have reverted to just being “very good” rather than title contenders after Rodriguez’s ascension to the WPS, leading some to believe that the championship was more based on the recruiting of the previous coach than the leadership of current coach Ali Khosroshahin.

Stanford – Everybody’s second team. Beloved in most circles for their silky smooth passing and attacking that has lit teams up like a Christmas tree over the past few years. Rampaged to a 25-0-0 record in 2009 before succumbing to North Carolina in the final, causing much grief everywhere not named Chapel Hill. Recent alumni include FC Gold Pride stalwarts Kelley O’Hara and Ali Riley.

Texas A&M; – Big XII powerhouse with fan support that rivals Portland’s. Have been a consistent force in the conference for the better part of a decade but have wilted at the final hurdle, losing four times in the final eight. Another team that makes it rain goals on a frequent basis.

UCLA – The best program to have never won a national title. Three-time defeated finalists, including once, cruelly, in the only penalty shootout to decide a final thus far (2004). Frequently the champions in the spring recruiting race, owing no doubt to coach Jillian Ellis’s deep ties to the US Youth National Team system, a fact that has irked more than one observer. Produced current Boston Breaker forward Lauren Cheney.

Are There Any Resources That Will Help Me Follow College Soccer

Fortunately, there are a handful of college soccer obsessives whose hard work make enjoying the college soccer season infinitely more enjoyable.

The College Soccer Recruiting Spreadsheet – Not just for tracking the latest verbal commitments (although it does that very well). This easy to read resource also features a news aggregator from each Division I school’s official site showing you what’s been updated in the last day. In addition, there is also a handy guide showing you how much each of the top teams from the previous season has lost from their starting XI from the last season. Finally, the site also features the best recruiting class rankings on the web.

The 2010 Composite Schedule – The closest thing to a comprehensive just-a-little-past-live scoreboard as you’ll find on the web. A no-frills way to look at raw stats for each team as the season evolves, including a live updating unadjusted RPI calculator, which is invaluable when looking at who could be in and who could be out come tournament time. Updated swiftly on game days by volunteers (including yours truly).

Chris Thomas’s RPI Resource – The ultimate in high detail statistical geekery in college soccer. Home of weekly calculations of an “unofficial” RPI, the measure used largely by the selection committee to determine at-large qualifiers to the NCAA Tournament. Also features scores of statistical articles, detailing how the RPI itself is calculated and how the selection committee (in theory) does its job. Required reading for anybody thinking of attempting to put together a mock bracket, it helped me nail 63 of the 64 qualifiers for the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

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