Men’s Soccer Kickoff: Bruins' Upset Leads Opening Week

11-team field gears up for first weekend of 2026

College men's soccer kicks off its 2026 campaign with the Big Ten sitting firmly at the epicenter of the national title picture. UCLA’s stunner on the East Coast leads a talent-rich 11-team field heading into opening weekend.

From cross-country non-conference tests to intense regional opening-day showcases, the Big Ten tests its mettle immediately on the national stage. With returning All-Big Ten performers and a deep collection of elite transfer talent taking the pitch, the 2026 season launches with competitive balance — setting the stage for a thrilling fight for conference supremacy from day one.

Here’s everything you need to know with Big Ten men’s soccer officially underway.

UCLA Pulls off the Road Upset

The action officially kicked off on Thursday, August 20, headlined by the UCLA Bruins, who opened with a cross-country win over No. 11 Virginia. UCLA grabbed a 1-0 lead in the contest thanks to a header from junior Zach Neuls. The Cavaliers evened the match in the second half, but the tie didn’t last long. Newcomer Logan Hall came off the bench for the Bruins and netted the game-winning goal in the 81^st minute to seal the 2-1 victory.

Updates Across the League

Here’s how the rest of the league fared in its first wave of games:

No. 7 Maryland 2, Pittsburgh 1: The Terrapins kicked off their 2026 campaign with a road win in Pittsburgh . Freshman Said El Eyssami scored both goals in his first collegiate match.
No. 22 Indiana 3, Notre Dame 1: The Hoosiers pleased a crowd of 7,078 fans with a dominant win over in-state rival Notre Dame. Oliver Moller-Jensen debuted with Indiana with two goals.
Michigan State 6, Albany 2: The Spartans kicked off the season in East Lansing with their most goals in a game since 2008. Five different Michigan State players found the back of the net in the contest.
Ohio State 1, Virginia Tech 0: Isaiah Chisolm’s header off a corner from Jack Wayne was the difference in the Buckeyes’ shutout victory .
Penn State 3, Mercyhurst 2: The Rob Dow era at Penn State started with a come-from-behind victory over Mercyhurst. The Nittany Lions went down 2-0 in the first half before scoring three unanswered goals.
Wisconsin 5, Saint Mary’s 0: A four-goal, first-half barrage helped the Badgers cruise to an opening night win in Madison. Aidan Martinez tallied three points for Wisconsin.
Northwestern 3, New Haven 1: The Wildcats opened up the season with a 3-1 victory on the lakefront against New Haven.
Rutgers 0, American 0: The Scarlet Knights opened their season with a draw in Washington, D.C. after outshooting American 13-5.
Michigan 0, LMU 0: The Wolverines, who landed just outside the preseason top 25, kicked off the season with a draw against Loyola Marymount .
San Diego 2, No. 1 Washington 1: Despite playing in front of a program record crowd for a season opener, the Huskies fell to No. 18 San Diego . 2025 All-Big Ten First Team member Zach Ramsey scored for Washington.

Top Upcoming Action

The opening-weekend gauntlet is just getting started, with the rest of the conference turning its focus to a weekend packed with top-10 tests and regional rivalries.

Sunday, August 23

After kicking off its title defense with a loss, Washington heads to Spokane in hopes of bouncing back against in-state rival Gonzaga.
Michigan State, Wisconsin and Indiana all play their second games of the season at home against Seattle, Oakland and Evansville, respectively.
Some conference teams have pivotal non-conference road trips: Rutgers will take I-95 down South to the nation’s capital to play the 2019 national champion, No. 5 Georgetown, and Northwestern heads to South Bend to square off with Notre Dame.
Penn State, who opened up the season with a win over Mercyhurst in State College, goes to Springfield to face off with Missouri State.

Get all the dates, times, and viewing information across the Big Ten Men’s Soccer schedule here .

Earlier this Week: Reigning Champs Claim the Top Spot in Big Ten Preseason Poll

For the first time since 2018, a team from the Big Ten stood at the college soccer mountaintop in 2025, with the Washington Huskies winning the first national championship in program history. Now, entering the 2026 season, Washington is still the team to beat, coming in at No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll .

The Huskies lead the way as one of three conference teams in the top 25. Not too far behind them is Maryland — who lost to Washington in the Elite Eight in 2025 — coming in at No. 7, while Indiana comes in at No. 22; Michigan also received votes.

The conference also unveiled its 2026 Big Ten Players to Watch List, selected by the head coaches, headlined by six returning First-Team All-Big Ten selections from a season ago. That group is anchored by three stars from the reigning national champions — midfielders Alex Hall and Zach Ramsey alongside defender Harrison Bertos — as well as Maryland junior Laurin Mack, the reigning Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year. Also highlighting the list is Michigan State midfielder Peter Soudan, who returns following a standout 2025 Big Ten Freshman of the Year campaign.

Along with the national poll, the Big Ten released the conference preseason poll . After five teams were featured in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the conference is looking to make more noise this season — whether the Huskies go back-to-back, or another program adds a chapter to its story.

Photo via UCLA Athletics .