SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- For the first time in League history, two men's programs will host an opening-round NCAA Tournament game on their respective campuses. (RV/NR) Denver, who earned the league's automatic bid following a 4-2 win over (21/23) Kansas City in the 2025 Summit League Championship title match, will host UC Irvine on Thursday at 4 p.m. CT/3 p.m. MT. The Roos earned the program's first at-large bid and will also host a tournament game for the first time as Lindenwood travels across Missouri for a 6 p.m. CT kickoff in Kansas City. 

This also marks the third straight season the league will have multiple squads in the 48-team field. These two teams both won multiple games in the 2024 NCAA Tournament with No. 3 national seed Denver making it all the way to the College Cup where the Pioneers fell in penalty kicks during the national semifinals to eventual champion Vermont. Kansas City made its deepest run in program history, advancing to the third round where No. 2 national seed Pitt deal the Roos a 3-2 overtime loss.

Both first-round tournament matches will air on ESPN+.

DENVER TO HOST UC IRVINE IN NCAA FIRST ROUND THURSDAY
The [RV/-] University of Denver men's soccer program will open its 2025 NCAA Tournament at home on Thursday when the Pioneers welcome UC Irvine to the University of Denver Soccer Stadium. The match will kickoff at 3 p.m. MT and be streamed live on ESPN+.

The winner of Thursday's first round will travel to No. 8 seed Portland on Sunday for a second round match-up.

Denver earned its 15^th NCAA Tournament bid on Monday, and its 14^th in its modern DI era (since 1998). The bid is also Denver's eighth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, and its 12^th in the last 13 seasons.

On Saturday, Denver won its ninth Summit League Tournament title, defeating Kansas City 4-2 at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium.

Following last season's run to the program's second College Cup (2016), Denver is 10-11-2 (0-2 pks) in the NCAA Tournament, including 7-2-0 at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium. The Pioneers have won each of their previous two first round games played at home, and are 3-4-1 in the first round overall.

Jack and Sheila Weinberg Head Men's Soccer Coach Jamie Franks is 9-7-1 as a head coach in the NCAA Tournament, and 25-12-4 combined as a student-athlete, assistant and head coach.

KANSAS CITY EARNS HOSTING BID FOR FIRST ROUND OF NCAA TOURNAMENT
For the first time in program history, Kansas City Men's Soccer is hosting an NCAA Tournament game, as was announced this afternoon. The Roos earned an at-large bid into the championship after putting together a record of 11-3-5 and the 20th-best RPI in the nation and will host OVC Champion Lindenwood at 6 p.m. on Thursday evening. Tickets are available now at kcroos.com/MSOCtix.

The Roos' resume spoke for itself as Kansas City put together an eight-game unbeaten stretch at the end of the year before falling to Denver in the Summit League title game. Four of Kansas City's opponents also qualified to the NCAA Championship: Denver, fifth-seeded SMU, eighth-seeded Portland and ninth-seeded San Diego. The winner of the first round match up between the Roos and Lions will move on to play #12 Stanford in the second round of the championship.

Kansas City qualified for the 2024 NCAA Championship last season, advancing to the Round of 16. This marks the first time in program history that the Roos, led by back-to-back Summit League Coach of the Year Ryan Pore, will play in the tournament in consecutive years.

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