Fourth-Seeded Aggies Earn Bye at 2015 NCEA Championships
Mar 31, 2015 | Equestrian
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M equestrian team will compete in its fourth-straight National Collegiate Equestrian Association Championships as the No. 4 seed, the NCEA announced today. The national meet will take place April 16-18 at the Extraco Events Center in Waco.
The Aggies will face the winner of No. 5 Auburn and No. 12 UT-Martin on Friday, April 17, after earning a bye in the first round of competition. Texas A&M has wins over both potential opponents in 2014-15, defeating No. 5 Auburn at home to close the regular season and opening the year with an 18-2 defeat of UT-Martin.
Beginning with the 2014 championship, the top-12 overall teams (Western and Hunt Seat combined) are invited to compete. The NCEA Selection Committee determines and invites these teams based on a number of factors throughout the season.
The top-four seeds in the NCEA Championship each receive first-round byes in the 12-team format. The top-four seeds to this year's event include Southeastern Conference Champion Georgia and fellow conference foe South Carolina as well as the Big 12 Champion Baylor and the Aggies.
Texas A&M was the 2012 NCEA Overall National Champion in just their first year with the league. The Aggies have won 11 total national championships – nine western and two overall – and have been competing in the current varsity equestrian format since the 2006-07 season. Prior to the NCEA, Texas A&M competed in the Varsity Equestrian National Championships (VENC) and the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). The Aggies have appeared in 19 national championships over the past 14 years.
This season the Aggies are 8-6 with a 3-3 mark in Southeastern Conference action. Ten of the team's meets this year were against top-10 opponents, with the Aggies coming away victorious in six of the match ups, including Friday's win over top-ranked South Carolina.
To learn more about Texas A&M equestrian, log on to 12thMan.com and follow @AggieEquestrian on Twitter.
2015 NCEA Opening-Round Match-Ups
(8) SMU vs. (9) Kansas State
(5) Auburn vs. (12) UT-Martin
(6) Fresno State vs. (11) New Mexico State
(7) TCU vs. (10) Oklahoma State
Quarterfinals
(1) Georgia vs. (8) SMU or (9) Kansas State
(2) Baylor vs. (7) TCU or (10) Oklahoma State
(3) South Carolina vs. (6) Fresno State or (11) New Mexico State
(4) Texas A&M vs. (5) Auburn or (12) UT-Martin
Seeding For 2015 NCEA Championship
1. Georgia
2. Baylor
3. South Carolina
4. Texas A&M
5. Auburn
6. Fresno State
7. TCU
8. SMU
9. Kansas State
10. Oklahoma State
11. New Mexico State
12. UT-Martin
Texas A&M National Championship History
2000 - IHSA
2001 - IHSA
2002 - IHSA, VENC - VENC Overall Champions, IHSA Western Champions
2003 - IHSA, VENC - IHSA Western National Champions
2004 - IHSA, VENC - IHSA Western National Champions
2005 - IHSA, VENC - VENC Western National Champions
2006 - IHSA, VENC
2007 – VENC - VENC Western National Champions
2008 - VENC
2009 – VENC - VENC Western National Champions
2010 – VENC - VENC Western National Champions
2011 – VENC - VENC Western National Champions
2012 – NCEA - NCEA Overall Champions, NCEA Western National Champions
2013 - NCEA
2014 - NCEA
