.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Princeton Earns No. 3 Seed in NCAA Tournament
November 17, 2025 | Men's Soccer
PRINCETON, N.J. – After completing the Ivy League double with an Ivy League Tournament Championship win on Sunday, Princeton will be the No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, the committee announced on Monday.
Earning a first round bye and hosting rights through the quarterfinals with a top-four seed, the Tigers will face the winner of Thursday's game between Duke and FDU in the Second Round on Sunday. Kickoff will be set for 4 p.m. in Roberts Stadium. The tournament's semifinals and final will be held in Cary, N.C. on Dec. 12 and 15.
Since the documentation of national seeds began in 1994, this is the seventh time an Ivy League team has been seeded, and the No. 3 seed surpasses the No. 6 seed Penn received last year as the previous high for the league.
This marks Princeton's 13th appearance all-time in the NCAA tournament. Last season, the Tigers earned a berth and fell 1-0 to Akron in the First Round.
Princeton has met Duke three times before in the regular season, dropping each contest with the most recent a 2-0 loss in 2023. Princeton is 18-8-2 all-time against FDU, most recently meeting in 2019 as the Tigers took a 4-0 win. They met FDU once in the NCAA tournament in 2001, falling 2-1.
On Sunday, Princeton became the first team to win both the Ivy League Championship and the Ivy League Tournament in the same season, as they defeated no. 2 seed Cornell 2-0 at home. Sam Vigilante and Liam Beckwith scored in the contest, with keeper Andrew Samuels making three saves, including a penalty save, for his 12th shutout of the year.
Samuels, Giuliano Fravolini Whitchurch, Dash Papez and Liam Beckwith were named to the All-Tournament Team, with Samuels earning Most Outstanding Player honors.
The Tigers went undefeated in the Ivy League season, going 7-0-0 while not allowing a single goal to mark a first in league history.
Princeton will now look to capture its first NCAA tournament game win since 1993, when it made the College Cup semifinals. Since the tournament expanded to 48 teams in 2001, this will also be the first time since that year, 2001, that Princeton will be in the round of 32.
Earning a first round bye and hosting rights through the quarterfinals with a top-four seed, the Tigers will face the winner of Thursday's game between Duke and FDU in the Second Round on Sunday. Kickoff will be set for 4 p.m. in Roberts Stadium. The tournament's semifinals and final will be held in Cary, N.C. on Dec. 12 and 15.
Since the documentation of national seeds began in 1994, this is the seventh time an Ivy League team has been seeded, and the No. 3 seed surpasses the No. 6 seed Penn received last year as the previous high for the league.
This marks Princeton's 13th appearance all-time in the NCAA tournament. Last season, the Tigers earned a berth and fell 1-0 to Akron in the First Round.
Princeton has met Duke three times before in the regular season, dropping each contest with the most recent a 2-0 loss in 2023. Princeton is 18-8-2 all-time against FDU, most recently meeting in 2019 as the Tigers took a 4-0 win. They met FDU once in the NCAA tournament in 2001, falling 2-1.
On Sunday, Princeton became the first team to win both the Ivy League Championship and the Ivy League Tournament in the same season, as they defeated no. 2 seed Cornell 2-0 at home. Sam Vigilante and Liam Beckwith scored in the contest, with keeper Andrew Samuels making three saves, including a penalty save, for his 12th shutout of the year.
Samuels, Giuliano Fravolini Whitchurch, Dash Papez and Liam Beckwith were named to the All-Tournament Team, with Samuels earning Most Outstanding Player honors.
The Tigers went undefeated in the Ivy League season, going 7-0-0 while not allowing a single goal to mark a first in league history.
Princeton will now look to capture its first NCAA tournament game win since 1993, when it made the College Cup semifinals. Since the tournament expanded to 48 teams in 2001, this will also be the first time since that year, 2001, that Princeton will be in the round of 32.
Players Mentioned
M
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's Soccer
M/D
/ Men's Soccer
GK
/ Men's Soccer
M
/ Men's Soccer2024 Princeton Men's Soccer Highlight Video
Tuesday, May 06
Princeton Athletics 2023-24 Highlights
Tuesday, June 04
2023 Princeton Men's Soccer Highlight Video
Wednesday, April 24
Men's Soccer Recap vs. Rutgers (9/1/23)
Saturday, September 02