The wait is over. 2026 NCAA Division I men’s soccer launches this week, and the defending national champions are back with a target on their backs.
2025 College Cup Recap
University of Washington captured its first national championship, defeating NC State 3–2 in overtime on Harrison Bertos’ golden goal. NC State enters 2026 hungry after finishing runner-up.
2026 Preseason Top 10
According to the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll:
- Washington
- NC State
- Furman
- Saint Louis
- Georgetown
- Portland
- Maryland
- Princeton
- Stanford
- Bryant
The top of the poll looks familiar, but the field is loaded well beyond the traditional powerhouses. SMU, San Diego, Oregon State, Hofstra and Grand Canyon also crack the Top 25.
Players to Watch
The 2026 MAC Hermann Trophy watch list is packed with talent.
Attack: David Ajagbe (Portland), Mitchell Baker (Georgetown), Daniel Lugo (High Point), Stephane Njike (Indiana), Stephan Soghomonian (SMU)
Midfield: Alex Hall (Washington), Diego Hernandez (Furman), Leon Koehl (Maryland), Collins Oduro (Indiana), Iain Wagner (San Diego)
Defense: Harrison Bertos (Washington), Luke Adams (Saint Louis), Braden Dunham (Furman), Matthew Fisher (Michigan), Roka Tsunehara (Princeton)
Goalkeepers: Laurin Mack (Maryland), Andrew Samuels (Princeton), Kyle Durham (UConn), Niklas Herceg (Vermont)
These players were selected from returning 2025 All-Americans and All-Region performers, making the list a strong early snapshot of the stars to watch this fall.
NCAA Rule Changes You Need to Know
The 2026–27 season brings some notable changes:
Two coach-initiated video challenges per team, per match. Officials can also initiate reviews during the final 10 minutes of regulation and overtime when a team has exhausted its challenges.
Goalkeepers now have eight seconds to release the ball, up from six. Failure to release it results in a corner kick for the opponent.
Substitution procedures are being standardized across NCAA soccer, with teams in Division II and III men’s soccer and all women’s divisions now able to substitute whenever the clock is stopped. Division I men’s soccer already had that provision.
And there’s a bigger change coming: beginning with the 2027–28 season, Division I men’s soccer is moving to a two-semester playing season, with the championship moving to the spring. The maximum remains 25 contests, but teams will have a fall segment and a spring segment.
The Opening-Day Storyline
Washington begins its title defense against No. 18 San Diego on Thursday, setting up one of the marquee matchups of opening day.
The champs. The runner-up. A loaded preseason Top 25. A new generation of stars. And a sport undergoing one of its biggest structural changes in years.
College soccer is back!
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