March 29, 2017
AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" The Auburn equestrian team was named the No. 3 seed for the 2017 National Collegiate Equestrian Association National Championship, the NCEA Selection Committee announced Wednesday.
The nation's top-12 teams will compete for the 2017 NCEA Championship set to take place April 13-15 at the Extraco Events Center in Waco, Texas.
"I'm very pleased the team kept themselves in a position to earn that first round bye," head coach Greg Williams said. "While we were hoping to pull of another conference championship, that wasn't in the cards. Now we're putting all our focus on winning a national championship and bringing that trophy back to Auburn."
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.
Auburn returns to the national tournament as defending champion, winning the 2016 edition in dramatic fashion. The Tigers edged TCU, 8-7, for the national crown. Auburn has captured four NCEA titles overall, coming in 2006, 2011, 2013, and 2016.
The Tigers will take on the winner of No. 6 seed South Carolina and No. 11 seed South Dakota State. The overall No. 1 seed went to Baylor, while Georgia earned the No. 2 seed and Oklahoma State rounded out the top four.
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