WATERTOWN, Wis. -- The National Christian College Athletic Association's Midwest Region has announced a new seeding structure for its 2024 regional tournament, which is set for November 7-9 at Grace Christian University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The teams will now compete head to head in a classic standings-style format, with the top three teams earning a bye to the regional semifinal. The fourth- and fifth-place teams will square off in the regional play-in game with a ticket to play the top-seeded team on the line. 

Under the old format, the seedings for the tournament were decided primarily by the NCCAA Power Rating System, with consideration given to head-to-head competition as a functional tiebreaker. Under the new format, which is set to extend through at least the 2025 season, the regular season truly becomes a "regular season" - meaning that each team will compete against the other four teams in the region, amounting to four total regional games. If two teams meet twice during the regular season, only one game will count as the designated "regional game" while the other game will not. The host site for each rivalry will alternate every year.

As always, every game influences the team's overall record and NCCAA Power Rating. Power ratings will determine the seeding for the 2024 NCCAA DII National Tournament.

Winners of each game receive three points while the loser records zero. Ties award a point to each team. Tiebreakers, in order, are listed as follows:

• Goal difference* (goals scored minus goals allowed)
• Goals allowed
• Goals scored
• NCCAA Power Rating

*A maximum of +5 or -5 goals will be awarded for each game
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The regular-season table would look like the following:
 

2024 Men's Soccer Midwest Region Standings

Team	W	L	T	POINTS	GD	GA	GS	Power Rating
Emmaus
Grace Christian
Great Lakes
Kuyper
Maranatha

The designated regional matches for the Sabercats will take place on the following dates:
 

2024 Sabercats Midwest Region Matches

Match	Location of Match	Date
@ Kuyper	Grand Rapids, Mich.	Sept. 21
vs Grace Christian	Watertown, Wis.	Sept. 28
@ Emmaus	Dubuque, Iowa	Oct. 8
vs Great Lakes	Watertown, Wis.	Oct. 22

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Head Coach Jeff Pill looks forward to the team competing in the tight Midwest Region and in the NCCAA, which accounts for 10 regular-season games.

"We are excited to test ourselves in the Midwest Region with a new format," said Coach Pill. "The coaches in the region were unanimous that this format will enhance the competitive structure of the region, which has been a very tightly contested region historically, and recently with the new regional alignment. We're thankful to compete in a region that makes the logistics of traveling realistic for everyone, as we know that isn't the case for every region, and we're thankful for the trust and flexibility that the NCCAA has given us as coaches as we look to made adjustments to enhance the experience for the players."

For more on the NCCAA Midwest Region, go here.