Texas soccer is gearing up for the 2026 campaign, a schedule that promises a gauntlet of opponents who tasted the NCAA tournament last season.
A demanding road ahead
First‑year head coach Margueritte Bates, who guided UCLA to two conference titles and a national championship in her rookie year, returns to Austin with a clear vision: build a thoughtful, hard‑to‑break style of play.
The Longhorns open at home against Houston Christian before embarking on a three‑game road swing that takes them to Pittsburgh, Arizona State and Grand Canyon, testing their mettle early in the season.
SEC play begins on September 10 with a showdown against Arkansas, the defending conference champion, and later includes home matches against Tennessee and LSU as well as road tests at Kentucky and Vanderbilt.
Despite losing six of the seven leading scorers from the 2024 roster, which left the team at 4‑12‑1 a year ago, Bates believes the tough nonconference slate will forge the identity she wants for the program.
The schedule also features a clash with TCU, the Horned Frogs, who reached the national semifinals last season, adding another marquee opponent to the mix.