The 2026-27 academic year marks an official change in how the NCAA will select postseason participants. After years of using the Regional Advisory Committees (RAC), NCAA Division II has adapted the NCAA Power Index model to determine postseason bids.
 
The NCAA Power Index, or NPI, is a ranking system used in Division II and Division III to evaluate team performance. NPI considers game results and the strength of opponents to calculate a team’s NPI value and ranking.
 
The first NPI rankings for women's soccer were released on Monday, Oct. 12, and the CCAA held 10 of the top 20 spots. Cal Poly Pomona leads the way, sitting at No. 2 with 56.847 points, followed by Cal State San Bernardino at No. 4 (55.662 points), Cal State LA at No. 5 (55.473), and UC Merced at No. 6 (54.892). Cal State San Marcos is at No. 8 (54.169), giving the CCAA five of the top eight spots.
 
The CCAA also placed five teams between spots 12 and 20. Stanislaus State is No. 12 (52.658), Cal State Monterey Bay sits in 14th (52.125), and Cal Poly Humboldt is at No. 15 (51.601). Chico State (16th, 50.691) and Fresno Pacific (20th, 47.908) conclude the list of CCAA teams in the top 20 in the region.
 
NPI calculations update throughout the season as teams play additional contests and opponent NPI values change. A team’s final NPI is not determined until the final games and rankings of the season are complete.
 
Throughout the season, the NCAA will release new NPI rankings four weeks before the first postseason contest. These rankings will be updated weekly for three weeks, before daily NPI rankings are published every day up until the last weekend of the season.
 
To learn more about NPI and how it is calculated, click here.