SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – The Spring Arbor University women's soccer team earned an at-large berth to the 2026 NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship and was selected as one of 16 campus hosts for the First and Second Rounds. The NAIA announced the 40-team field Friday, with the Cougars receiving the No. 6 overall seed.
 
Morningside University (Iowa) and Bellevue University (Neb.) will meet in the First Round on Thursday, Nov. 19, at the Cougar Soccer Complex. Spring Arbor will face the winner in the Second Round on Saturday, Nov. 21. Saturday's winner will advance to the national championship final site at Jack Allen Sports Complex in Decatur, Alabama, where play runs from Nov. 30 through Dec. 7.
 
Kickoff times and ticket prices for the Spring Arbor site will be announced soon.
 
Morningside (15-3-1) earned an at-large berth after sharing the Great Plains Athletic Conference regular-season title with a 9-1-1 league record. The Mustangs were No. 25 in the final regular-season NAIA poll and reached the GPAC Tournament final, where they fell to Hastings.
 
Bellevue (12-2-3) earned an automatic berth by winning the Continental Athletic Conference Tournament. The Bruins played top-seeded Georgia Gwinnett to a 1-1 draw in the championship match and won the penalty shootout 4-3.
 
Spring Arbor enters the tournament at 14-2-3 and unbeaten in its last 10 matches. The Cougars finished second in the Crossroads League regular-season standings at 7-1-1 and have recorded 15 shutouts, including four straight. They were ranked No. 5 in the final regular-season NAIA poll.
 
This marks Spring Arbor's 17th consecutive national tournament appearance and 18th overall. The Cougars won NAIA national championships in 2015, 2017 and 2022.