It began with more than 300 teams competing for four spots in Cary, North Carolina. Now a final quartet is headed instead to San Jose, California, to settle a national championship. Relocated by the NCAA in response to anti-LGBTQ legislation in North Carolina, the College Cup begins Friday with semifinals pitting No. 1 West Virginia against No. 2 North Carolina (ESPNU, 5 p.m. ET) and No. 2 Georgetown against No. 2 USC (ESPNU, 7:30 p.m. ET). What follows is a first look at what to expect.

For the first time since 2010, which was also the only other instance in the past 20 years, the College Cup includes two first-time participants in Georgetown and West Virginia. And with USC making just its second appearance, this field misses out on having arguably the least seniority in the event's history only because, well, North Carolina is North Carolina.

In some respects, this College Cup is a sign of a very specific moment in time. It cannot be a coincidence that the teams in San Jose were, by and large, less hampered by the Under-20 Women's World Cup than the likes of UCLA or reigning champion Penn State. Or that Florida State and Virginia, two postseason staples in recent seasons, finally saw their balance tilt from reloading to rebuilding. Or that Stanford fell victim to one of the tournament's great upsets despite taking 31 shots on the night against Santa Clara.

And, as always, there was good fortune involved in surviving penalty shootouts (USC and West Virginia) or staying at home throughout the first four rounds (Georgetown). It isn't much of a stretch to imagine that Duke, Florida State and Stanford could be alongside North Carolina.

Then again, it might just as easily be South Carolina and Auburn alongside Georgetown and West Virginia in a field of four first-timers. And perhaps that's more the point. Since 2010, there have been eight first-time participants and four first-time champions in the College Cup. In the 10 tournaments between 2000 and 2009, just four programs made College Cup debuts.

This isn't a College Cup of upstarts or underdogs. Just one of unfamiliar names.

Georgetown: There was drama during a 1-0 quarterfinal win over Santa Clara, the goal coming from Notre Dame transfer Crystal Thomas in the 76th minute and standing up only after a save in the final minute. But by the standards of this bracket, Georgetown progressed with ease. The Hoyas haven't allowed a goal yet and took the lead inside an hour in each of their first three games. Not bad for a program that is less than a decade removed from its NCAA tournament debut and matched its previous all-time postseason win total with this run.

North Carolina: As was true of their most recent title in 2012, North Carolina is the only semifinalist that played on the road en route to the College Cup, a 1-0 quarterfinal win at South Carolina. The Tar Heels also played this season without Jessie Scarpa, a first-team all-ACC selection, and freshman Taylor Otto because of the U-20 World Cup, as well as midfielder Joanna Boyles because of injury. So early struggles, including a 3-0 loss at USC, were hardly a shock. But the past month has been a tour de force, including wins over Florida State, Virginia, Notre Dame, Clemson and South Carolina.

USC: USC survived a second-round penalty shootout against Texas A&M and had to hold off Auburn in an evenly played quarterfinal, a game it had the chance to play at home because Auburn beat top-seeded Florida a week earlier. But that was also the second win of the season over Auburn, in addition to wins against North Carolina and Stanford. Somewhat improbably the first Pac-12 program to win a national title in 2007, beating more familiar Stanford and UCLA to the distinction, USC could now become the first team from the conference with multiple titles.

West Virginia: The Mountaineers haven't had a two-goal lead since the first round, played nearly 40 minutes of overtime, gave up one lead in the final minute of regulation, survived a penalty shootout against UCLA and were outshot in a 1-0 quarterfinal win over Duke. But unlike every other No. 1 seed, they still have games to play. Don't let the postseason drama, which plenty of past champions endured, obscure the full body of work. This team that shut out the Big 12 -- the entire league -- had the second-stingiest defense in the nation.

The four keys

Georgetown's versatility: It may be new to the championship scene, but Georgetown brings the diversified portfolio of a longtime participant. Yes, the Hoyas like to have the ball and break opponents down. Fifth in the nation in scoring entering the quarterfinals, they are the only semifinalist ranked in the top 30 in scoring. But their best win of the regular season came at West Virginia, a game in which they surrendered the vast majority of possession and defended for their lives. They shut out Virginia in the Sweet 16 when they recorded just three shots of their own, and they shut out Rutgers in the second round when they allowed just four shots.

West Virginia is making its College Cup debut, but Olympic bronze medalist Ashley Lawrence has plenty of experience on a big stage. WVU Athletic Communications

North Carolina's depth: Less than two minutes after she entered as a substitute against South Carolina, Madison Schultz placed a bending shot into the corner of the net for the game's only goal. A round earlier, Dorian Bailey had been on the field for 10 minutes when she provided the only goal against Clemson. This is what North Carolina does. Subs like Schultz and Bailey played 6,046 minutes for the Tar Heels this season. Subs played 3,500 minutes for their opponents. That's a difference of more than 100 minutes of fresher legs per game.

USC's back line: Way back on Aug. 19, Santa Clara scored three goals in just more than 96 minutes to win its season opener against USC in overtime. In more than 2,000 minutes since, the rest of USC's opponents have combined to score just seven more goals. Auburn (twice), North Carolina, Stanford, Texas A&M and Utah were among those 15 opponents shut out. That isn't done by packing numbers behind the ball, but it also isn't simply the byproduct of USC dominating games at the other end. Mandy Freeman and Ally Prisock are physical center backs comfortable on the ball, and goalkeeper Sammy Jo Prudhomme is as steady as they come.

West Virginia's Canadians: The NCAA presumably won't play the Canadian anthem before the semifinal, but it should. The starting lineup against Duke included seven Canadians (notable among them is sophomore defender Bianca St. Georges, who just returned from the U-20 World Cup). As with North Carolina's depth, this isn't new. West Virginia nearly reached the College Cup in 2007 with Amanda Cicchini, Deana Everrett headlining another cast of Canadians. But the current group is the most deep and accomplished. It would be a title crafted in Canada.

Stars to watch

At a storied North Carolina program, Lindsey Harris holds the record for most saves in a single season. Courtesy Shane Lardinois

Morgan Andrews, MF, USC: It has been a long journey for the former two-time national high school player of the year. A surprise omission from the United States U-20 team in 2014, having captained the U-17 team in a World Cup two years earlier, she then transferred to USC from Notre Dame after that college season. All she's done since is excel. She has 21 goals in 45 appearances for USC and is the playmaking fulcrum in the center of the midfield.

Kadeisha Buchanan, D, West Virginia: She's played more World Cup minutes than the rest of this field has played College Cup minutes. The same thing is true of her Olympic minutes (as it is for teammate and midfielder Ashley Lawrence). She doesn't have an NCAA title, but she has an Olympic medal. Not since Heather O'Reilly and Christine Sinclair have we seen College Cup participants already so accomplished on the world stage. She controls games from the back.

Rachel Corboz, MF, Georgetown: You can trace Georgetown's rise under coach Dave Nolan through the history of three players: Ingrid Wells, Daphne Corboz and now the younger of the Corboz sisters. As the lineage and family connections suggest, that left Rachel with no small task in carving out her own legacy. But here the Hoyas are in their first College Cup, Rachel the NCAA leader with 16 assists in addition to 11 goals of her own.

Lindsey Harris, GK, North Carolina: She wasn't among the all-conference selections, but none of those who were made a save like this in a quarterfinal. Her eight saves in that game pushed her total to 91 on the season, breaking a program record that stood for 36 years. Sure, some of her predecessors on more dominant teams had less work, but Harris' saves are a reflection of her athleticism and her presence. There is no goalkeeper rotation with her in form this year.

Meet the X factors

Michaela Abam, F, West Virginia: She's not Canadian. She hasn't played in the World Cup or Olympics. But she can score goals. Abam leads the Mountaineers with 11 goals this season and has 31 in three seasons. She scored the overtime winner in the Sweet 16 against Ohio State, her fourth NCAA tournament goal in the past two seasons. As the work before the perhaps fortunate goal against the Buckeyes highlighted, she isn't just a poacher. She can create goals.

With 14 goals, Georgetown forward Grace Damaska has found the net more than anyone in San Jose. Courtesy Georgetown

Grace Damaska, F, Georgetown: We've gotten this far without mentioning the player with the most goals of anyone in San Jose. And in a College Cup in which goals appear destined to be precious, that is an oversight. The senior's 14 goals match the output in her first three seasons. Her pace slowed a bit as this season progressed (she had five in a weekend in August), and an illness left her at less than 100 percent in the second and third rounds of the NCAA tournament. But at 5-foot-11, she can score in a lot of ways for the Hoyas.

Hanna Gardner, D, North Carolina: The fifth-year senior is the only player in San Jose who has any experience playing in the College Cup. Her 188 minutes of experience are 188 more than the combined total of the hundred-plus other players on hand. As much as the Tar Heels substitute, the three starting defenders are constant and constantly good: Gardner, Julia Ashley and Maggie Bill (also a lacrosse All-American who won a national title earlier this year).

Kayla Mills, MF, USC: The Pac-12 defensive player of the year a season ago (Mandy Freeman claimed the honor this season), Mills nonetheless boosted this team's title chances by changing positions. Not only did moving her off the back line open up minutes for impressive freshman Julia Bingham, it gave USC a rock solid defensive midfielder in Mills.