My biggest gripe with AA selection is the (I'd argue) excessive value placed on the team's success.

Here is the 'formula' use to calculate the AA teams (I know it says 2024 but this has been in place for years). I understand the rational to include team success in an individual player's overall rating, but I do think it hurts the top players in the better conferences (NESCAC, UAA, etc.) since it it much more difficult to end the season with a record that is among the highest winning percentage.

A solution to this? I don't know... maybe a different weighting on the team index, maybe include SoS somehow? But it will always be nearly impossible to pick the true top 45 players in a landscape so large and subjective.

This doesn't take anything way from those who made up the AA teams, congrats and well done!

Recent grad and a stalker of the boards for the last couple years... now I feel comfortable putting my opinion on here.

Anyways, I guess I'll throw my two cents in for the three teams mentioned above.

First Rochester, which I am extremely interested to see their play style under a new coach. After being a team that seemed to rely on long throws & set pieces regularly, I find it hard to believe that a coach who has spent time within the top level of US professional soccer to play that brand. But I guess we'll see the brand they play... at least in their away games because paywall at home 

Next Chicago, they'll be fine. I remember seeing a message about them (I think) last year or a couple years ago. They don't rebuild, they reload. They'll be good, but I agree that losing Boyes/Yeti doesn't help.

Finally Case, which I'll be following closely. Non-conference has tough match-ups again (Ott, Denison, Mount, JCU...) so it will be far from easy. Last season was lead by a defense that allowed 7(?) goals in the regular season, and that will be the key to this season if they want to find themselves successful again. For what it's worth, they return their starting keeper, who arguably could challenge for best in the conference after receiving All-UAA honorable mention in his first year in the starting role as a sophomore.