In the first NCAA Regional Rankings, the Cal State Stanislaus men's and women's soccer teams are among the top eight, it was released earlier this week by the NCAA.
With a 7-3-4 overall record before Friday, the Warriors women's team debuted at No. 5. The Warriors were ahead of California Collegiate Athletic Association North Division leader Sonoma State, which started at No. 10. UC San Diego, Cal State L.A., BYU Hawaii and Seattle Pacific were ranked ahead of the Warriors.
The top six teams in the region at the end of the regular season qualify for the NCAA postseason tournament. Teams can also automatically qualify for the tournament by winning the CCAA Championship Tournament, to be held at Warrior Stadium on Nov. 4-6.
The Warrior men debuted at No. 7 with a 7-5-1 record against Division II opponents before Friday. Stanislaus was ahead of CCAA North leader Sonoma State (No. 8, 9-4-1). Seattle Pacific, Chico State, Cal State Dominguez Hills and Grand Canyon were the top four teams in the region in that order. Only the top four teams from the West qualifies for the NCAA Championships.
The NCAA rankings take in factors such as in-region Division II records, overall strength of schedule, as well as strength of schedule against teams outside of the conference. Among a few other criteria, records against ranked teams is also a factor.