2011 NCAA Division I men's soccer season
The 2011 NCAA Division I men's soccer season was the 53rd year of organized men's college soccer in the United States.
The season was divided into three parts; the regular season, which started with early season tournaments against intraconference opponents, before the second half of the regular season that featured interconference matches. The regular season was held from late August to early November 2011. In mid-November, the conference tournaments were held, and from mid-November to mid-December, the NCAA Tournament was held.
The national champion was the North Carolina Tar Heels whom won the title against the Charlotte 49ers. It was North Carolina's third national championship, and Charlotte's first ever appearance in an NCAA final of any sport.
Season headlines
Throughout the course of the regular season, six different men's college soccer programs topped the rankings. The Connecticut Huskies were ranked first for four consecutive weeks, being the longest streak to do so in the season. At the end of the regular season, the New Mexico Lobos were the only college team in the nation to remain undefeated, winning 16 matches and only drawing twice.Changes from 2010
Coaching changes
The following is a list of head coaching changes prior to the start of Division I men's soccer season.Rule changes
Season overview
Pre-season polls
Several American soccer outlets posted their own preseason top 25 rankings of what were believed to be the strongest men's collegiate soccer teams entering 2011.Regular season
Early season tournaments
| Name | Dates | Num. teams | Champions |
| ShinDigz Soccer Festival | Aug. 18–20 | Creighton | |
| Cal State Northridge Labor Day Classic | Sept. 1–3 | ||
| Hokie Invitational | Sept. 2–4 | ||
| Ocean State Classic | Sept. 2–4 | ||
| VCU Invitational | Sept. 2–4 | ||
| Brown Soccer Classic | Sept. 8–12 | ||
| Hurricane Classic | Sept. 8–12 | ||
| Stihl Soccer Classic | Sept. 8–12 | ||
| Akron Soccer Tournament | Sept. 16–18 |
Conference standings
;KeyConference regular season and tournament winners
Thirty athletic conferences each end their regular seasons with a single-elimination tournament. The teams in each conference that win their regular season title are given the number one seed in each tournament. The winners of these tournaments receive automatic invitations to the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship. The Ivy League does not have a conference tournament, instead giving their automatic invitation to their regular-season champion.Major upsets
In this list, a "major upset" is defined by a team that's ranked 10 or more spots lower, or an unranked team that defeats a team ranked #15 or higher.| Date | Winner | Score | Loser |
| September 2 | Providence | #11 Brown | |
| September 4 | UC Davis | #6 UCLA | |
| September 11 | Virginia Tech | #1 North Carolina | |
| September 11 | ESTU | #14 William & Mary | |
| September 24 | George Mason | #15 Old Dominion | |
| October 5 | #20 San Diego State | #3 Akron | |
| October 7 | #23 Virginia | #2 Maryland | |
| October 12 | Missouri State | #4 Creighton | |
| October 17 | Davidson | #2 North Carolina |
Key matches
Statistical leaders
Overall
;Top scorers
| Rank | Scorer | College | Goals |
| 1 |  Ashton Bennett | Coastal Carolina | 23 |
| 2 | Darren Mattocks | Akron | 21 |
| 3 |  Mark Sherrod | Memphis | 19 |
| 4 | Chandler Hoffman | UCLA | 18 |
| 4 | Gyasi Zardes | CSU Bakersfield | 18 |
| 6 | Luis Silva | UC Santa Barbara | 17 |
| 6 | Casey Townsend | Maryland | 17 |
| 6 | Andrew Wenger | Duke | 17 |
| 9 |  Dom Dwyer | South Florida | 16 |
| 9 | Billy Schuler | North Carolina | 16 |
| 9 | Yannick Smith | Old Dominion | 16 |
Last updated on December 23, 2011. Source:
;Most assists
| Rank | Scorer | College | Goals |
| 1 | Franklin Castellanos | Iona | 14 |
| 2 | Jesus Sanchez | CSU Bakersfield | 13 |
| 3 | Christopher Tweed-Kent | Duke | 12 |
| 4 | Scott Caldwell | Akron Zips | 11 |
| 4 |  Liam Collins | Memphis | 11 |
| 4 |  Enzo Martinez | North Carolina | 11 |
| 4 | Juan Peralta | Vermont | 11 |
Last updated on December 23, 2011. Source:
Per match
NCAA tournament
College Cup – Hoover, Alabama
Award winners
NSCAA/Continental Tire Men's NCAA Division I All-America Team
On December 9, 2011, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America released their All-American teams for the 2011 NCAA Division I men's soccer season. The list included a first, second and third team.;First team
;Second team
;Third team