Through the decade of the four-team School Soccer Playoff format, there was a notion that the identical groups would play in it every year. A few of that could be true: Alabama gained eight berths; Clemson went 6 instances; Ohio State claimed six spots. Georgia and Oklahoma every went 3 instances. In these ten seasons, solely 15 totally different packages earned a playoff berth (40 whole spots).
Each now and again, somebody sneaks in that you just did not anticipate. In 2021, Cincinnati turned the primary Group of 5 group to earn a playoff spot. The next season, TCU got here out of nowhere to play within the nationwide championship recreation. Michigan State performed within the second playoff.
Final yr, within the first version of the expanded format, six colleges made their first look within the playoffs. Faculties like Indiana, Arizona State, and Boise State broke by means of and located themselves within the event to play for the nationwide championship. Although none of these colleges received a recreation within the playoffs, they received their program on that sort of stage for the primary time. That ought to really feel like it will likely be the brand new regular as groups have extra entry to this playoff … and particularly with a possible enlargement to 16 groups coming within the close to future.
So who could possibly be the subsequent TCU or Indiana? Or who could possibly be the Group of 5 faculty that breaks by means of? Or who could possibly be the varsity that won’t get there however might play spoiler for groups trying to get in (like Syracuse knocking Miami out within the common season finale)? Listed here are 15 groups who might throw a wrench within the School Soccer Playoff.
