The 2026 NCAA Division I women's soccer season is the 45th season of NCAA championship women's college soccer. The season began August 12, 2026, and is scheduled to conclude with the 2026 NCAA Division I women's soccer championship game on December 13, 2026.
The Florida State Seminoles are the defending champions. They defeated conference foe Stanford in the final.
In May 2026, the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Oversight Committee approved a proposed change to the soccer schedule. Under the new schedule, the season would be divided between spring and fall segments, with a winter break from late November until mid-February. The NCAA Tournament and College Cup would take place in the spring. The new schedule would take effect with the 2027–28 academic year. This change would only affect the men's side of college soccer, and not the women's.
However, in June 2026, the proposed schedule failed to gain the necessary approval of the Division I Cabinet. The Cabinet remanded the proposal to the Divison I Men's Soccer Oversight Committee, asking the committee to provide further clarity. It is unknown whether the new schedule will be approved, or if it is, when it will be implemented. Thus, both men and women's college soccer remains on similar fall-only schedules.
Changes from 2025 Coaching changes The following coaching changes occurred during the 2025–26 offseason. Program Outgoing coach Manner of departure Date of vacancy Incoming coach Date of appointment References American Marsha Harper Contract not Renewed November 10, 2025 Phil Casella December 19, 2025 Arkansas–Pine Bluff resigns February 1, 2026 June 17, 2026 https://www.pbcommercial.com/uapb-soccer-coach-stephens-resigns/https://uapblionsroar.com/news/2026/6/17/womens-soccer-uapbsoccer-uapb-names-fred-locario-head-coach-of-womens-soccer.aspx Central Michigan Jeremy Groves Contract not Renewed November 3, 2025 James DeCosemo December 10, 2025 Coastal CarolinaJo ChubbResignedFebruary 18, 2026Pete CuadradoApril 3, 2026 Delaware State Natasha Ademakinwa May 21, 2026 Ousmane Camara May 21, 2026 https://dsuhornets.com/news/2026/5/21/ousmane-camara-named-delaware-state-university-head-womens-soccer-coach.aspx Drexel Ray Goon Retired October 28, 2025 Shannon Grogan December 3, 2025 Florida Samantha Bohon Contract not Renewed November 12, 2025 Nick Zimmerman December 5, 2025 Fresno State Brian Zwaschka Contract not Renewed November 18, 2025 Gabriel Bolton December 24, 2025 Gardner–Webb Erik Solberg Hired by Tarleton State April 28, 2026 Samantha Thomsit May 28, 2026 Grambling State Justin Wagar June 9, 2026 Chris Logan June 9, 2026 https://gsutigers.com/news/2026/6/9/womens-soccer-logan-named-head-coach-of-grambling-state-womens-soccer.aspx Hampton Scot Vorwold March 20, 2026 Sam Cain March 20, 2026 https://hamptonpirates.com/news/2026/3/20/sam-cain-named-head-womens-soccer-coach.aspxIowaDave DilanniHired by MichiganJanuary 27, 2026Dean WardFebruary 12, 2026 Le Moyne Jaro Zawislan Contract not Renewed November 17, 2025 Taylor Van Fleet January 8, 2026 Lipscomb Kevin O'Brien Hired by Mississippi State December 7, 2025 Kathleen Paulson December 23, 2025 Louisiana–Monroe Will Roberts Hired by Old Dominion December 22, 2025 Antony Blackburn January 17, 2026 Louisiana Tech Steve Voltz Relieved of Duties November 10, 2025 Matt Lodge November 25, 2025 LouisvilleKaren Ferguson-DayesRetiredFebruary 19, 2026Hunter NortonFebruary 19, 2026 McNeese November 20, 2025 November 20, 2025 https://mcneesesports.com/news/2025/11/20/womens-soccer-wsoc-alexsis-cable-officially-named-head-coach-of-cowgirl-soccer.aspxMichiganJennifer KleinResignedJanuary 8, 2026Dave DilanniJanuary 27, 2026 Mississippi State Nick Zimmerman Hired by Florida December 5, 2025 Kevin O'Brien December 7, 2025 Montana Chris Citowicki Hired by Washington State December 12, 2025 Stuart Gore February 2, 2026 Murray State Matt Lodge Hired by Louisiana Tech November 25, 2025 Ben Madsen December 23, 2025 Nevada Vanessa Valentine Resigned December 4, 2025 Jeremy Evans December 22, 2025 New Mexico Heather Dyche Hired by U.S. Soccer November 4, 2025 Karley Nelson November 12, 2025 Old Dominion Angie Hind Resigned December 3, 2025 Will Roberts December 22, 2025 Ole Miss Molly Rouse Contract not Renewed November 10, 2025 Todd Shulenberger December 1, 2025 Sacramento State Randy Dedini Contract not Renewed December 19, 2025 Tim Strader March 3, 2026 Saint Peter's Julia Bazi April 8, 2026 Sammy Adjei April 8, 2026 https://saintpeterspeacocks.com/news/2026/4/8/saint-peters-welcomes-adjei-as-next-womens-soccer-head-coach.aspx Southern Miss Mohammed El-Zare Resigned November 5, 2025 Danny Owens December 5, 2025 Southern Utah Kai Edwards Hired by San Diego State March 12, 2026 Steven Lindquist April 3, 2026 St. BonaventureMelissa SherwoodContract not RenewedJanuary 28, 2026Ray LeoneFebruary 19, 2026 St. Thomas Sheila McGill Contract not Renewed October 27, 2025 Gretta Macdonald December 17, 2025 Tarleton State Pete Cuadrado Hired by Coastal Carolina April 3, 2026 Erik Solberg April 28, 2026 Texas Ange Kelly Amicable November 24, 2025 Margueritte Aozasa November 25, 2025 Texas A&M G Guerrieri Retired October 28, 2025 Bobby Shuttleworth December 9, 2025 Troy Stuart Gore Resigned October 30, 2025 Jake Wyman December 11, 2025 UCLA Margueritte Aozasa Hired by Texas November 24, 2025 Gof Boyoko December 12, 2025 UNLV Jenny Ruiz-Williams Resigned November 4, 2025 Kacey Bingham December 10, 2025 USC Upstate Mark Laudenslager Contract not Extended (interim) December 4, 2025 Sam Odell December 4, 2025 UTRGVMark FosterResignedJanuary 6, 2026Nataki StewartFebruary 4, 2026 Wagner Phil Casella Hired by American December 19, 2025 Fred King February 6, 2026 Washington State Todd Shulenberger Hired by Ole Miss December 1, 2025 Chris Citowicki December 12, 2025 XavierDean WardHired by IowaFebruary 12, 2026Katy EtelmanFebruary 17, 2026
Conference realignment
The Pac-12 Conference resumed full operation in July 2026 after a two-season hiatus, with women's soccer as one of the 19 sponsored sports.
Meanwhile, the WAC reconfigured and rebranded as the United Athletic Conference, and continues to sponsor women's soccer.
As a result of the above changes in conference sponsorship, 32 conferences will have automatic bids to the 2026 NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament.
Team Conference in 2025 Conference in 2026 Austin Peay ASUN UAC Boise State MW Pac-12 California Baptist WAC Big West Central Arkansas ASUN UAC Colorado State MW Pac-12 Denver Summit WCC Eastern Kentucky ASUN UAC Fresno State MW Pac-12 Gonzaga WCC Pac-12 Hawaii Big West MW Little Rock OVC UAC Louisiana Tech CUSA Sun Belt SWAC https://mvsusports.com/news/2025/10/31/soccer-mississippi-valley-state-athletics-announces-strategic-realignment.aspx North Alabama ASUN UAC Northern Illinois MVC Horizon Oregon State WCC Pac-12 Sacramento State Big Sky Big West Saint Francis NEC PAC (D-III) San Diego State MW Pac-12 Southern Utah WAC Big Sky Tennessee Tech OVC SoCon Texas State Sun Belt Pac-12 UC Davis Big West MW Utah State MW Pac-12 Utah Tech WAC Big Sky Utah Valley WAC Big West UTEP CUSA MW Washington State WCC Pac-12 West Florida GSC (D-II) ASUNWest Georgia ASUN UAC
Changes for 2027 Two members of the Big West Conference will leave that conference for the WCC after the 2026–27 school year. At the same time, Fairfield will leave the Metro Conference for the Coastal Athletic Association.
Team Conference in 2026 Conference in 2027 Fairfield Metro CAA UC San Diego Big West WCC UC Santa Barbara
Other news May 27 – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference announced that it would rename itself as the Metro Conference effective July 1. June 23 – The NCAA Division I Cabinet unanimously approved a new age-based eligibility proposal for that division, which officially took effect with the end of the Cabinet's meeting the next day. Under the new model, students will have five years of athletic eligibility, and will be able to play in all five years. Athletes' eligibility clocks start with the earlier of (1) their full-time enrollment in a degree-granting institution or (2) the start of the academic year that immediately follows an individual's 19th birthday. Redshirting is no longer allowed, even for medical reasons; the only exceptions allowed for male athletes are for full-time military service or religious missions. Students enrolling full-time in college for the first time in 2026, plus those who had remaining eligibility under previous rules at the end of 2025–26, can use whichever model is most advantageous to them. Those who exhausted their eligibility under previous rules in 2025–26 will not receive any additional eligibility, even if they initially enrolled in 2022–23 (giving them four years of eligibility). June 24 – On the same day the new age-based eligibility model took effect, a group of 15 college basketball players, all of whom graduated from high school in 2022 and exhausted their eligibility under the previous rules in 2025–26, filed suit in Hamilton County, Ohio challenging the application of the new model to their high school cohort. Other suits on similar grounds were expected to be filed in other states. June 26 – The Coastal Athletic Association announced that Fairfield would join from the Metro Conference in July 2027. July 31 – Rulings in two separate court cases undercut the NCAA's planned "five for five" eligibility model as applied to 2022 high school graduates. First, a Tennessee state court judge granted a temporary injunction that allowed 19 basketball players in that class an extra season of eligibility. Several hours later, a federal judge in Colorado issued a preliminary injunction that applied to all members of the high school class of 2022 who had exhausted athletic eligibility, regardless of sport, and also provided those individuals an extra season of eligibility. The NCAA was expected to appeal. August 20 – In an event billed as "Soccer at Sanford" (i.e., Georgia's football home of Sanford Stadium), honoring the 30th anniversary of the first Olympic women's soccer final, in which the US defeated China at that venue, Georgia defeated James Madison 6–0 before a crowd of 25,433, a new record for an NCAA soccer match regardless of sex.
Season outlook Preseason polls
United Soccer CoachesRankTeam 1 Stanford 2 Notre Dame 3 Duke 4 Florida State 5 Vanderbilt 6 TCU 7 Michigan State 8 North Carolina 9 UCLA 10 Arkansas 11 Virginia 12 Washington 13 Colorado 14 Georgetown 15 Kansas 16 LSU 17 Ohio State 18 Wake Forest 19 Georgia 20 West Virginia 21 Memphis 22 Wisconsin 23 Texas Tech 24 Tennessee 25 Clemson
Regular season
Major upsets In this list, a "major upset" is defined as a game won by an unranked team that defeats a team ranked No. 15 or higher, or a team ranked 10 spots lower than the other team.
All rankings are from the United Soccer Coaches Poll. Home team is shown in italics.
Date Winner Score Loser August 12 2–1 9 4–1 10 August 19 1–0 9 August 23 3–1 6 3–1 3 September 6 13 0–7 6–4 6 September 10 15 2–3 13 0–4 October 1 13 0–1
Conference standings
See also 2026 NCAA Division I men's soccer season
References