The road to Cary, North Carolina, begins now. Each season, 64 women’s soccer teams compete in the NCAA Tournament for a chance to make it to the College Cup – where the final four teams compete for the national championship. Reigning champion Florida State has competed in the College Cup a total of 14 times since its inception in 1982, while North Carolina holds the record for most appearances with 31. However, there are many top teams that have yet to reach the coveted semifinals. Each season offers new contenders the opportunity to join the ranks.

Here are four teams that could participate in the 2024 College Cup for the first time. The rankings come from the previous season’s United Soccer Coaches Poll:

No. 14 Georgia | 13-4-6 (2023 record)

If momentum can carry a team through a season, then the Bulldogs have a serious chance to reach the 2024 College Cup. Georgia is coming off a historic season in 2023 after winning the team’s first SEC Tournament title and advancing deep in the NCAA Tournament. Their Round of 16 match against Clemson, which ended in a 1-1 tie on penalties, showcased their relentless defense and ability to cause problems in the attacking third. Despite losing midfielder Croix Bethune to the NWSL, many players from last year’s squad will be back, including all three top scorers, 2023 All-American freshman Kiera Staude and a number of SEC transfers to bolster the veteran roster. These veterans know what it takes to not only perform in high-pressure games, but also to bounce back after chaotic moments.

No. 7 Pitt | 17-6-1

Pitt is another team that reached historic milestones in the 2023 season, as the Panthers reached the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals for the first time and set program records for most total wins (17), total goals (64) and first-time wins over then-No. 3 North Carolina and No. 22 Duke. Their 3-0 loss to eventual champion Florida State in the NCAA quarterfinals came after an impressive run that included wins over No. 2 Arkansas and No. 6 Memphis, which was only the program’s second appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Could there be a lucky third appearance? We’ll get a good look at the team’s capabilities in the season opener at Georgia on Thursday, Aug. 15. Then later in the season, the Panthers get a rematch against the Seminoles on Oct. 20.

➡️ 👀 STATISTICS: Current leaders in goals, assists, minutes played and more

No. 6 Nebraska |

The 2023 Big Ten regular-season champions narrowly missed out on a ticket to the College Cup last year after losing 2-1 in overtime to eventual national runner-up Stanford. Watching the tape again, you saw the Huskers gave the Cardinal a tough fight, and if not for the unfortunate own goal that gave Stanford the initial lead, last year’s College Cup might have had a different shade of red. This season, Nebraska will look to fill the void left by the nation’s leading scorer, Eleanor Dale (28 goals), with senior Sara Weber, who ranked fifth in the nation with 16 goals scored. Another key returnee for Nebraska will be Florence Belzile, who totaled 17 assists last season — second-most in the country — and will look to bolster an offense comprised primarily of seniors. The Huskers’ comeback season will be put to the test early when they face top-25 opponent Duke on August 22nd.

No. 12 Saint Louis | 19-3-2

Speaking of 16 goals in a season, Emily Gaebe returns for Saint Louis, who was a top-five scorer last year and named a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist. Gaebe proved to be a weapon during the Billikens’ run to the third round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, scoring the equalizer in Saint Louis’ 4-3 overtime loss to Penn State. Despite the loss, the team showed diligence and was able to score three straight goals after being down two goals in the team’s first Round of 16 appearance. The defending Atlantic 10 champions will get a chance to reignite that fire when they face College Cup-caliber BYU on Aug. 22 and play a rematch against Penn State on Sunday, Sept. 1.