Oct. 27, 2009
SAN DIEGO - In the second midseason men's soccer Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) released today by the NCAA, San Diego State is ranked 11th of 204 Division I programs. The rating, which is one of the most important pieces of criteria used to determine the 48-team field for the NCAA tournament, is a mathematical formula designed to objectively compare results and strength of schedule.
In the latest edition of the RPI, the Aztecs (6-4-4, 3-2-2 Pac-10) moved up 45 places from the first release on Oct. 12. The 45-place jump from 56th to 11th is the seventh-best improvement in the nation and tops among current top-20 RPI teams. Only Sacramento State (92nd from 170th), Missouri State (39th from 102nd), Wisconsin (33rd from 90), San Jose State (137th from 188th), Hofstra (82nd from 131st) and Michigan State (23rd from 70th) have had bigger improvements over the 15 days. SDSU beat Wisconsin, 3-2, in double-overtime on Sept. 13 and travels to Michigan State on Sunday (Nov. 1).
San Diego State is 1-1-1 against opponents currently rated in the top 10 in the RPI, 3-3-2 against the top 40 and 6-3-2 against the top 50. The Aztecs' only opponent with a RPI rating higher than 60th is Pac-10 foe Oregon State, which is coming off a 2-0 win against Washington on Oct. 17.
SDSU has four matches left on its regular season slate, including Sunday at the Spartans (No. 23 in RPI), Nov. 6 against Washington (No. 57), Nov. 8 versus Oregon State (No. 120) and Nov. 14 at UCLA (No. 2). The Bruins are currently leading the Pac-10 with 14 points at 4-1-2 in league play, three points ahead of San Diego State's 11 (3-2-2).
This year, the Aztecs are 4-2-1 against ranked opponents, including a 3-0-1 mark against top-15 programs. They have set program records in most overtime games in a season (nine) and most consecutive overtime matches (six from Oct. 2-Oct. 23). SDSU is also ranked 24th in the country by both Soccer America and Top Drawer Soccer, the first time it has been nationally ranked since Oct. 29, 2007.
San Diego State and Michigan State (9-4-1, 2-3-0 Big Ten) begin play Sunday in East Lansing at noon ET.