With five of the top six seeds knocked out and NC State the highest seed left, bettors should consider backing NC State or underdog futures like Furman or Washington in match-by-match wagers; expect value in live in-play bets as momentum swings favor resilient lower seeds.
2025 NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament Upended by Major Upsets
The 2025 NCAA men's soccer tournament has delivered chaos and opportunity. After a repeat of last year’s unseeded-champion shock, five of the top six seeds—including No. 1 Vermont—were eliminated in their opening games. That collapse has opened the bracket and set up a College Cup where lower seeds and local favorites dominate the narrative.
College Cup Semifinals: Matchups, Times and Broadcast
Semifinal Schedule
TV: ESPNU Live stream: ESPNU digital platforms
No. 16 Furman vs. Washington — 6:00 p.m. ET
No. 15 NC State vs. Saint Louis — 8:30 p.m. ET
Championship (semifinal winners) — 7:00 p.m. ET (final on ESPNU)
Semifinal Storylines and Betting Angles
NC State vs. Saint Louis
NC State, the highest seed remaining, plays close to campus and will draw a strong crowd advantage. Saint Louis is the only College Cup team with a historical title pedigree, though their last championship came over 50 years ago. Betting implication: home-field edge and crowd intensity make NC State a solid single-game favorite; consider match winner bets and small-margin prop bets favoring NC State.
Furman vs. Washington
Furman reached the final four for the first time, while Washington returns for its second College Cup appearance. Both teams have momentum from dramatic wins; Furman’s penalty-kick resilience and Washington’s recent tournament form open opportunities for live bets and low-stakes futures backing either to reach the final.
Road to the College Cup: Key Results and Notable Upsets
Quarterfinals
- Furman 1, Portland 0 - Washington 3, Maryland 1 - Saint Louis 3, Akron 2 - NC State 3, Georgetown 2
Third Round Highlights
- Maryland 3, UConn 0 - Portland 1, Grand Canyon 0 - Georgetown 2, High Point 1 - Furman 3, Hofstra 3 (Furman won 5-4 on penalties) - Akron 2, Duke 0 - Saint Louis 2, Bryant 2 (Saint Louis won 4-3 on penalties) - NC State 2, UNC Greensboro 0 - Washington 1, Stanford 0
Second Round Notables
- Saint Louis 1, Indiana 0 (major upset) - Hofstra 3, Vermont 2 (Vermont, the No. 1 seed and 2024 champion, eliminated in OT) - Maryland advanced on penalties over North Carolina (4-3 on PKs) - Akron 1, Notre Dame 0 - Furman 1, Western Michigan 0 - UConn 3, Cornell 1 - Washington 1, SMU 0 - Duke 2, Princeton 1 - Georgetown 2, UCF 0 - UNC Greensboro eliminated No. 2 Virginia on penalties (4-3 on PKs) - Bryant 1, Seton Hall 0 - NC State 2, Marshall 0 - High Point 3, West Virginia 2 - Grand Canyon 2, San Diego 1 - Stanford 1, Kansas City 0 - Portland advanced on penalties over Denver (5-4 on PKs)
First Round Select Results
- Duke 1, Fairleigh Dickinson 0 - Cornell 4, Lafayette 0 - Denver 2, UC Irvine 0 - Grand Canyon 0, UCLA 0 (Grand Canyon advanced on penalties) - Seton Hall advanced on penalties vs. Siena - UNC Greensboro advanced on penalties vs. Elon - Hofstra 2, Syracuse 0 - Western Michigan 1, Clemson 0 - North Carolina advanced on penalties vs. North Florida - Notre Dame 1, Michigan 0 - Kansas City 1, Lindenwood 0 - UCF 3, Florida Atlantic 2 - West Virginia 4, St. John's 3 (OT) - Marshall 1, Cleveland State 0 - Saint Louis 2, Kentucky 1 - Washington 3, Oregon State 2 (OT)
Historical Context and Recent Champions
The tournament’s recent history underlines parity and unpredictability. Last year’s champion (2024) was Vermont, an unseeded title-winner, and the field has continued to produce surprise outcomes.
Last 10 NCAA men's soccer tournament finals:
2024 Vermont def. Marshall
2023 Clemson def. Notre Dame
2022 Syracuse def. Indiana
2021 Clemson def. Washington
2020 Marshall def. Indiana
2019 Georgetown def. Virginia
2018 Maryland def. Akron
2017 Stanford def. Indiana
2016 Stanford def. Wake Forest
2015 Stanford def. Clemson
Final Betting Outlook
The early elimination of top seeds suggests bettors should favor volatility-based strategies: back local favorites like NC State in single-game markets, look for value on resilient underdogs (Furman, Washington) in futures and head-to-head markets, and prioritize in-play wagers to exploit momentum swings after early goals or penalty scenarios. Keep stakes measured given the tournament’s recent unpredictability.
It's another unexpected final four in the Men's College Cup. Here's how to watch the semifinals.
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