The West Virginia Mountaineers have unveiled their 2026 men’s soccer schedule, a 17‑game slate that blends non‑conference road trips with a heavy home presence at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
The campaign opens on the road in Charlotte on August 20, before the team returns to Morgantown for its home opener against St. Bonaventure on August 24. Two exhibition matches against Pitt and West Virginia Tech precede the regular season, giving the squad a chance to fine‑tune before conference play begins.
Sun Belt Conference play kicks off on September 17 at Georgia State, and the highly anticipated Mountain State Derby against Marshall arrives on September 27 in Huntington. WVU split the regular‑season series with Marshall last year, winning 3‑0 before falling in extra time in the tournament final.
A five‑game home stretch runs from September 7 against George Mason through September 22 versus Duquesne, culminating in the last home match on October 29 against Coastal Carolina. The Mountaineers will also travel to Washington, D.C., to face American on October 12 before wrapping up the regular season on the road at James Madison on November 3.
Last season the team finished second in the Sun Belt and reached the NCAA tournament semifinals, and Coach Dan Stratford is eager to build on that momentum. The schedule reflects a desire to improve on that performance and to finish strong as the sport prepares for a structural shift in the 2027‑28 academic year.
A New Era for College Soccer
The NCAA has approved a shift that will split the 2027‑28 season between the fall and spring, a change that could affect future scheduling cycles. For now, the 2026 slate represents the final traditional fall schedule before that transition.