The 2023 season concluded with Franklin Pierce becoming the first repeat champions of the new millennium. Not since Southern Connecticut State went back-to-back in 1998 and 1999 has a program repeated. Despite the rarity of the repeat there are 12 programs that have won multiple titles since SIU Edwardsville defeated Oneonta State in the inaugural 1972 DII men’s soccer championship.
2023 TOURNAMENT RECAP: Franklin Pierce goes back-to-back
Much like the current landscape of new winners each season, the championship history started out with a first-time champion in each of its first seven seasons. Alabama A&M was the first to win multiple championships, claiming the 1977 and ’79 title, but it wasn’t until 1985 that DII men’s soccer saw a back-to-back champion. Seattle Pacific had the honor, winning in 1985 and 1986. There has been only one other repeat champion, Southern Connecticut State, since.
Let’s take a look at the schools that have racked up the most DII men’s soccer championships.
Southern Connecticut State, 6 (1987, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1998-99)
Head coach Bob Dikranian led the Owls to their first national championship in 1987. Over the next 13 seasons, Southern Connecticut went to seven title matches, winning six of them. Its lone loss was to the other DII men’s soccer powerhouse Seattle Pacific in 1993. Three different head coaches led the Owls to glory as Ray Reid and Tom Lang joined Dikranian in the Owls soccer lore.
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Seattle Pacific, 5 (1978, 1983, 1985-86, 1993)
It took the Falcons a little while to get in the win column. Seattle Pacific lost the title game in 1974, 1975 and 1977 before finally breaking through in 1978. Head coach Cliff McCrath then led the Falcons to four-straight championship matches, winning first in 1983 and then becoming the first repeat champions in history in 1985 and 1986. They lost to an FIU team in overtime in 1984. Seattle Pacific hasn’t been to a title match since 1993, but its 10 overall appearances are still best in the division.
Tampa, 3 (1981, 1994, 2001)
The Spartans national championships range across three different decades, taking one home in the ‘80s,…
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