Season Opener Set for August 12
The Kansas Jayhawks will open their 2026 women's soccer campaign on August 12 when they host the Utah State Aggies at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, Kansas. The kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Central Time, and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Both programs enter the contest with momentum from recent successes. Kansas arrives as the No. 15 team in the United Soccer Coaches and TopDrawerSoccer preseason polls, marking the highest preseason ranking in school history, while Utah State finished the 2025 season with a 10‑6‑7 record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament after capturing the Mountain West Conference title.
The Jayhawks capped the 2025 campaign with a 16‑6‑3 record, advancing to the third round of the NCAA Tournament for the third time. That season saw Kansas set new single‑season marks for goals (51), corner kicks (172) and points (154), underscoring the program’s upward trajectory.
Among the returning standouts, senior forward Caroline Castans and junior midfielder Jillian Gregorski earned Preseason All‑Big 12 honors, and goalkeeper Sophie Dawe was named to the conference’s watch list for net‑minders, highlighting the depth of talent returning to the lineup.
The match will also feature commentary from analysts Josh Klingler and Sarah Gonzalez, who will provide insight throughout the broadcast. This will be the first meeting between the two sides since a scoreless draw earlier in their history, adding an extra layer of intrigue for fans.
Kansas’s schedule does not stop there; the team is slated to travel to Springfield, Missouri, for a Sunday afternoon clash with the Missouri State Bears on August 18, before heading into conference play.
In the latest Big 12 preseason poll, the Jayhawks were tied for third, the highest preseason positioning the program has ever achieved, reflecting the optimism surrounding the squad’s prospects for the upcoming season.