Nelson Announces 2026 Soccer Schedule
June 05, 2026 | Women's Soccer
SPRINGFIELD - Missouri State women's soccer head coach Kirk Nelson has announced the Bears' 2026 season schedule, unveiling a fall slate that features 19 total matches, nine regular-season home contests and a challenging non-conference schedule highlighted by opponents from the Big 12, Big Ten, SEC and Atlantic 10.
Nelson's squad enters the 2026 campaign after reaching the Conference USA Championship final in its first season in the league. The Bears return six starters and 13 additional players from last year's roster, giving Missouri State an experienced core heading into its second CUSA season.
"This year's schedule is very tough both in and out of conference and it gets all of us fired up for the fall. It contains top opponents from strong conferences like the SEC, Big 12 and Big Ten," Nelson said. "We are excited to enter our second season in CUSA and will look to build off a solid 2025 campaign. The team had a productive spring and with the combination of returners and new additions, we are confident and ready to get going."
Regular season play opens at home against Kansas (Aug. 16). The Jayhawks are coming off an NCAA Tournament run that included wins over California Baptist and Louisville before falling to Duke in the third round. Kansas finished seventh in the Big 12 last season and earned a No. 3 seed in the national tournament.
The non-conference schedule continues with a road match at Kansas State (Aug. 20) before a return to Springfield to face Missouri (Aug. 23). The Bears last met Kansas State on Sept. 16, 2018, earning a 1-0 road win over the Wildcats. The matchup with Missouri will mark the third straight season the in-state programs have met.
A three-match homestand closes August, with Southeast Missouri (Aug. 27) and Central Arkansas (Aug. 30) following the Missouri match. The UCA matchup continues a familiar series, marking the fifth consecutive season between the Bears and Sugar Bears.
The September road swing opens with a first-time meeting at Iowa State (Sept. 3) before a trip to Iowa (Sept. 6). The Hawkeyes finished third in the Big Ten last season and reached the NCAA Tournament as a No. 5 seed, defeating South Dakota in the first round before falling to LSU in the second round. The Bears will also visit Kansas City (Sept. 10) before closing non-conference play at home against SIUE (Sept. 20), marking the fourth consecutive season between the programs.
Conference play begins at Delaware (Sept. 27), followed by the CUSA home opener against Jacksonville State (Oct. 1). The Bears then travel to Western Kentucky (Oct. 4) before returning home to face Middle Tennessee (Oct. 11).
The final stretch of the regular season includes a road match at New Mexico State (Oct. 18) and home contests against Kennesaw State (Oct. 22) and FIU (Oct. 25).
The regular season concludes at Liberty (Nov. 1) in a rematch of last season's Conference USA Championship final. Liberty earned the league's automatic NCAA Tournament berth after defeating the Bears in the title match before falling to Clemson in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
The 2026 Conference USA Tournament will be held in Newark, Del. on Nov. 8, Nov. 10 and Nov. 13.
Nelson's squad enters the 2026 campaign after reaching the Conference USA Championship final in its first season in the league. The Bears return six starters and 13 additional players from last year's roster, giving Missouri State an experienced core heading into its second CUSA season.
"This year's schedule is very tough both in and out of conference and it gets all of us fired up for the fall. It contains top opponents from strong conferences like the SEC, Big 12 and Big Ten," Nelson said. "We are excited to enter our second season in CUSA and will look to build off a solid 2025 campaign. The team had a productive spring and with the combination of returners and new additions, we are confident and ready to get going."
Regular season play opens at home against Kansas (Aug. 16). The Jayhawks are coming off an NCAA Tournament run that included wins over California Baptist and Louisville before falling to Duke in the third round. Kansas finished seventh in the Big 12 last season and earned a No. 3 seed in the national tournament.
The non-conference schedule continues with a road match at Kansas State (Aug. 20) before a return to Springfield to face Missouri (Aug. 23). The Bears last met Kansas State on Sept. 16, 2018, earning a 1-0 road win over the Wildcats. The matchup with Missouri will mark the third straight season the in-state programs have met.
A three-match homestand closes August, with Southeast Missouri (Aug. 27) and Central Arkansas (Aug. 30) following the Missouri match. The UCA matchup continues a familiar series, marking the fifth consecutive season between the Bears and Sugar Bears.
The September road swing opens with a first-time meeting at Iowa State (Sept. 3) before a trip to Iowa (Sept. 6). The Hawkeyes finished third in the Big Ten last season and reached the NCAA Tournament as a No. 5 seed, defeating South Dakota in the first round before falling to LSU in the second round. The Bears will also visit Kansas City (Sept. 10) before closing non-conference play at home against SIUE (Sept. 20), marking the fourth consecutive season between the programs.
Conference play begins at Delaware (Sept. 27), followed by the CUSA home opener against Jacksonville State (Oct. 1). The Bears then travel to Western Kentucky (Oct. 4) before returning home to face Middle Tennessee (Oct. 11).
The final stretch of the regular season includes a road match at New Mexico State (Oct. 18) and home contests against Kennesaw State (Oct. 22) and FIU (Oct. 25).
The regular season concludes at Liberty (Nov. 1) in a rematch of last season's Conference USA Championship final. Liberty earned the league's automatic NCAA Tournament berth after defeating the Bears in the title match before falling to Clemson in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
The 2026 Conference USA Tournament will be held in Newark, Del. on Nov. 8, Nov. 10 and Nov. 13.
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