The first men's soccer national championship was awarded to St. Louis 61 years ago, in 1959, for its 5-2 win over Bridgeport.
The Billikens still lead the way with nine DI men's soccer titles, with their last coming in 1973. Here, we look at the top seven teams with the most national championships:
1. St. Louis — 9
Championships: 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973
St. Louis was a dominant force in the beginning of the men's soccer national championship era. Winning nine national championships in the first 14 years it was played, the Billikens' last title came in 1973. St. Louis was supposed to compete for another national championship in 1967 versus Michigan State, but the game was canceled due to bad weather.
2. Indiana — 8
Championships: 1982, 1983, 1988, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2012
The Hoosiers have the second-most national championships with eight. The team's highest-scoring championship performance came in 1998 with a 3-1 final over Stanford. Indiana appeared in the national championship versus Stanford in 2018 but fell 1-0 in double overtime.
3. Virginia — 7
Championships: T-1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2009, 2014
Virginia has six outright national championships, including four consecutive titles in the 1990s. Virginia tied Santa Clara 1-1 in double overtime in 1989. It was only the second tie in the national championship recorded in the history of the sport.
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T-4. San Francisco — 4
Championships: 1966, 1975, 1976, 1980
San Francisco's 1966 national championship is tied with the inaugural national championship game for the highest score. The Dons topped Long Island 5-2 in their home state after only dropping one game all season. They would go on to appear in four more national championship games.
T-4. UCLA — 4
Championships: 1985, 1990, 1997, 2002
The Bruins never had a consecutive streak of national championships, but they've recorded four since 1959. Their first national championship, in 1985, was won 1-0 over American after an incredible eight overtime periods. Their next championship, in 1990, took four overtime periods to win.
T-4. Maryland — 4
Championships: T-1968, 2005, 2008, 2018
Maryland most recently won in 2019, adding its third outright title to the trophy case. In 1968, the Terrapins tied Michigan State 2-2 in double overtime. It was one of just two ties recorded in national championship history.
T-4. Clemson — 4
Championships: 1984, 1987, 2021, 2023
The Tigers cracked this list after two titles in three years between 2021 and 2023. Clemson brought home two titles in the '80s, and it has recaptured its winning ways in the 2020s.
Men's college soccer: A complete history of national champions
See below for the complete listing of every Ƶ DI men's soccer champion:
| Year | Champion (Record) | Coach | Score | Runner-Up | Host or Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Vermont (16-2-6) | Rob Dow | 2-1 (ot) | Marshall | Cary, N.C. |
| 2023 | Clemson (15-3-5) | Mike Noonan | 2-1 | Notre Dame | Louisville, KY |
| 2022 | Syracuse (19-2-4) | Ian McIntyre | 2-2 (PK) | Indiana | Cary, N.C. |
| 2021 | Clemson (16-5-2) | Mike Noonan | 2-0 | Washington | Cary, N.C. |
| 2020 | Marshall (13-2-3) | Chris Grassie | 1-0 (ot) | Indiana | Cary, N.C. |
| 2019 | Georgetown (20-1-3) | Brian Wiese | 3-3 (2ot, pk) | Virginia | Cary, N.C. |
| 2018 | (13-6-4) |
Sasho Cirovski |
1-0 | Akron | Santa Barbara, Calif. |
| 2017 | (19-2-2) | Jeremy Gunn | 1-0 (2ot) | Indiana | Philadelphia |
| 2016 | (15-3-5) | Jeremy Gunn | 0-0 (2ot, pk) | Wake Forest | Houston |
| 2015 | (18-2-3) | Jeremy Gunn | 4-0 | Clemson | Kansas City, Kan. |
| 2014 | (14-6-3) | George Gelnovatch | 0-0 (2ot, pk) | UCLA | Cary, N.C. |
| 2013 | (17-1-6) | Bobby Clark | 2-1 | Maryland | Chester, Pa. |
| 2012 | Indiana (16-5-3) | Todd Yeagley | 1-0 | Georgetown | Hoover, Ala. |
| 2011 | North Carolina (21-2-3) | Carlos Somoano | 1-0 | Charlotte | Hoover, Ala. |
| 2010 | Akron (22-1-2) | Caleb Porter | 1-0 | Louisville | Santa Barbara, Calif. |
| 2009 | *Virginia (19-3-3) | George Gelnovatch | 0-0 (2ot, pk) | Akron | Cary, N.C. |
| 2008 | Maryland (23-3) | Sasho Cirovski | 1-0 | North Carolina | Frisco, Texas |
| 2007 | Wake Forest (22-2-2) | Jay Vidovich | 2-1 | Ohio State | Cary, N.C. |
| 2006 | UC Santa Barbara (17-7-1) | Tim Vom Steeg | 2-1 | UCLA | St. Louis |
| 2005 | Maryland (20-4-1) | Sasho Cirovski | 1-0 | New Mexico | Cary, N.C. |
| 2004 | *Indiana (19-4-1) | Mike Freitag | 1-1 (2ot, pk) | UC Santa Barbara | Carson, Calif. |
| 2003 | Indiana (17-3-5) | Jerry Yeagley | 2-1 | St. John's (N.Y) | Columbus, Ohio |
| 2002 | UCLA (18-3-3) | Tom Fitzgerald | 1-0 | Stanford | Dallas |
| 2001 | North Carolina (20-3-2) | Elmar Bolowich | 2-0 | Indiana | Columbus, Ohio |
| 2000 | Connecticut (20-3-2) | Ray Reid | 2-0 | Creighton | Charlotte, N.C. |
| 1999 | Indiana (21-3) | Jerry Yeagley | 1-0 | Santa Clara | Charlotte, N.C. |
| 1998 | Indiana (23-2) | Jerry Yeagley | 3-1 | Stanford | Richmond |
| 1997 | UCLA (22-2) | Sigi Schmid | 2-0 | Virginia | Richmond |
| 1996 | St. John's (N.Y.) (22-2-2) | Dave Masur | 4-1 | FIU | Richmond |
| 1995 | Wisconsin (20-4-1) | Jim Launder | 2-0 | Duke | Richmond |
| 1994 | Virginia (22-3-1) | Bruce Arena | 1-0 | Indiana | Davidson |
| 1993 | Virginia (22-3) | Bruce Arena | 2-0 | South Carolina | Davidson |
| 1992 | Virginia (21-2-1) | Bruce Arena | 2-0 | San Diego | Davidson |
| 1991 | *Virginia (19-1-2) | Bruce Arena | 0-0 (4ot, pk) | Santa Clara | South Florida |
| 1990 | *UCLA (19-1-2) | Sigi Schmid | 0-0 (4ot, pk) | Rutgers | South Florida |
| 1989 | Santa Clara (20-0-3)/Virginia (21-2-2) | Steve Sampson/Bruce Arena | 1-1 (2ot) | Rutgers | |
| 1988 | Indiana (19-3-3) | Jerry Yeagley | 1-0 | Howard | Indiana |
| 1987 | Clemson (18-5-1) | I.M. Ibrahim | 2-0 | San Diego State | Clemson |
| 1986 | Duke (18-5-1) | John Rennie | 1-0 | Akron | Tacoma, Wash. |
| 1985 | UCLA (20-1-4) | Sigi Schmid | 1-0 (8ot) | American | Seattle |
| 1984 | Clemson (22-4) | I.M. Ibrahim | 2-1 | Indiana | Seattle |
| 1983 | Indiana (21-1-4) | Jerry Yeagley | 1-0 (2ot) | Columbia | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. |
| 1982 | Indiana (21-3-2) | Jerry Yeagley | 2-1 (8ot) | Duke | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. |
| 1981 | Connecticut (20-3-2) | Joe Morrone | 2-1 (ot) | Alabama A&M | Stanford |
| 1980 | San Francisco (24-0-2) | Steve Negoesco | 4-3 (ot) | Indiana | Tampa, Fla. |
| 1979 | SIU Edwardsville (19-2-3) | Bob Guelker | 3-2 | Clemson | Tampa, Fla. |
| 1978 | San Francisco# (28-1) | Steve Negoesco | 2-0 | Indiana | Tampa, Fla. |
| 1977 | Hartwick (16-0-2) | Jim Lennox | 2-1 | San Francisco | California |
| 1976 | San Francisco (20-2-3) | Steve Negoesco | 1-0 | Indiana | Penn |
| 1975 | San Francisco (21-1-2) | Steve Negoesco | 4-1 | SIU Edwardsville | SIU Edwardsville |
| 1974 | Howard (19-0) | Lincoln Phillips | 2-1 (4ot) | St. Louis | St. Louis |
| 1973 | St. Louis (15-2-3) | Harry Keough | 2-1 (ot) | UCLA | Miami, Fla. |
| 1972 | St. Louis (15-2-3) | Harry Keough | 4-2 | UCLA | Miami, Fla. |
| 1971 | Howard# (15-0) | Lincoln Phillips | 3-2 | St. Louis | Miami, Fla. |
| 1970 | St. Louis (14-0-1) | Harry Keough | 1-0 | UCLA | SIU Edwardsville |
| 1969 | St. Louis (13-0) | Harry Keough | 4-0 | San Francisco | San Jose State |
| 1968 | Maryland (14-0-1)/Michigan State (11-1-3) | Doyle Royal/Gene Kenney | 2-2 (2ot) | Georgia Tech-Emory | |
| 1967 | Michigan State (12-0-2)/St. Louis (8-3-2) | Gene Kenney/Harry Keough | 0-0 | (Game called due to weather | St. Louis |
| 1966 | San Francisco (11-0-1) | Steve Negoesco | 5-2 | Long Island | California |
| 1965 | St. Louis (14-0) | Bob Guelker | 1-0 | Michigan State | St. Louis |
| 1964 | Navy (15-0) | F.H. Warner | 1-0 | Michigan State | Brown |
| 1963 | St. Louis (13-1) | Bob Guelker | 3-0 | Navy | Rutgers |
| 1962 | St. Louis (12-0-1) | Bob Guelker | 4-3 | Maryland | St. Louis |
| 1961 | West Chester (12-0) | Mel Lorback | 2-0 | St. Louis | St. Louis |
| 1960 | St. Louis (14-1) | Bob Guelker | 3-2 | Maryland | Brooklyn |
| 1959 | St. Louis (11-1) | Bob Guelker | 5-2 | Bridgeport | Connecticut |
*Penalty kicks
#Later vacated
