INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. --- History was made on Monday morning following the announcement of the Division III Women's Soccer Championship field via selection show on NCAA.com. For the first time in league history, four member squads will play for the walnut & bronze prize as conference champion Washington and Lee University was joined by Batten University, University of Lynchburg, and Bridgewater College as at-large selections.

The Division III women's soccer bracket includes 64 teams with 43 qualifying automatically as conference champions like Washington and Lee. The remaining 21 entrants were determined by ranking in NCAA Power Index (NPI). Batten ranked 11th in the final NPI listing, which marked the Marlins as the sixth program selected at-large. Lynchburg was rated 17th, which translated to the eighth at-large position. Bridgewater placed 31st on the final chart, which resulted in the Eagles entering the field as the 17th at-large pick. For reference, Washington and Lee ranked third in the final NPI.

All teams in a given sport -- 411 in D-III women's soccer -- earn a NPI rating. Those NPI ratings are ranked sequentially and form a transparent method of selecting teams at-large to Division III brackets, replacing the former process of the sport championship committees selecting teams at-large based on predetermined selection criteria. Once the 43 automatic qualifiers are known, the next 21 best NPI-rated teams formed the list of at-large selected programs to fill out the bracket.

Batten and Washington and Lee were both selected to host early round pods on Saturday and Sunday, November 14-15. Bridgewater and Lynchburg will be traveling for their first and possible second round games. Bridgewater is located in the upper-left quadrant of the bracket, while Lynchburg is in the upper-right portion. Both Batten and Washington and Lee are in the lower-right quadrant, but in separate sectional regions, which means they could meet in a potential quarterfinal game.

Batten (13-0-6) opens with Marymount University (Va.) on Foster Field at Tassos Paphites Soccer Complex as part of the Marlins' Trinder Center. The Saints (13-5-1) won the Atlantic East Conference (AEC) championship. The other first round matchup will feature Swarthmore College and Brevard College. The Garnet (12-2-3) earned an at-large berth following a semifinal exit in the Centennial Conference tournament. The Tornados (14-1-5) lifted their second straight USA South Athletic Conference (USAS) trophy.

Bridgewater (13-4-2) makes the relatively short trip to Carlisle, Pa., for competition at Dickinson College. The Eagles open with the host Red Devils (14-3-4), who earned their tournament spot at-large following a runner-up showing in the Centennial Conference tournament. The other first round matchup at Dickinson features Rowan University and Worcester State University. The Profs (15-0-1) tied TCNJ in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) championship game with the Lions earning the trophy on PKs. The Lancers (8-6-3) donned the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) crown.

Lynchburg (15-3-3) heads to Pittsburgh, Pa., and Carnegie Mellon University for early action. The Hornets square off with Stevens Institute of Technology in the first round. The Ducks (11-5-3) won the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom championship. The other first round clash features host CMU and Mt. St. Joseph University. The Tartans (10-3-3) are an at-large entry out of the University Athletic Association, while the Lions (12-3-3) won the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) championship.

Washington and Lee (16-1-2) begins play on Watt Field against John Jay College. The Bloodhounds (7-7-1) lifted the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) trophy. The other first round matchup in Lexington includes Emory University and the University of Scranton. The Eagles (10-3-5) -- the 2025 Division III runners-up -- are an at-large berth from the UAA, while the Royals (11-1-7) earned the Landmark Conference title.

The 16 winners from the opening-round pods will compete in four more four-team units in the section rounds on Saturday and Sunday, November 21-22. The four teams that advance from that weekend take a week off before traveling to Columbus, Ohio, for the national semifinal games on Friday, December 4, and ultimately the national championship game on Sunday, December 6. All games -- including the men's semifinals and championship -- will be played at Historic Crew Stadium.