The march towards San Jose begins on August 19, as the Division I women’s soccer season kicks off after the shortest postseason in history.

A chase for the national championship is defining for several programs at the top tier. While Santa Clara’s triumph in the spring season wasn’t the biggest shock, it did come from outside the ACC or Pac-12, the two sides that have been ever present in the past few national championship games.

MORE: 2021 College Soccer Preview Content

As the season kicks off today, check out some of the title contenders for the fall season.