Both the men’s and women’s teams are set to face tougher schedules this fall.
The Northwestern men’s and women’s soccer teams announced their season schedules last week. With its 2025 recruiting class ranked No. 13 in the country by Top Drawer Soccer, head coach Russell Payne leads the men’s team in his fifth season, while Michael Moynihan enters his 14th season with the women’s team.
Men’s team
The ‘Cats will host 10 regular-season contests at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium as part of a 17-game schedule that features clashes with six teams that played in last season’s NCAA Tournament.
Of those six NCAA teams, UCLA and Washington are both Big Ten schools, two new conference members that joined for last season, with which NU will face again this season. Last year, the ‘Cats lost 0-1 and 0-2 to those two opponents, respectively.
After two preseason exhibitions against IU Indianapolis (Aug. 9) and Northern Illinois (Aug. 15), the ‘Cats will open their season against Eastern Illinois on Aug. 21 at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.
NU will play 10 conference games and seven non-conference games this season. Last year, the Wildcats posted a dominant non-conference record (6-1-0) but struggled during conference play (3-6-1). Their difficulty in securing more wins on the road (2-5-0) might be one of their biggest challenges this upcoming season.
Women’s team
The Wildcats’ 2025 schedule features 18 games, including eight home games at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.
Starting with two exhibitions at Notre Dame and Western Michigan, the ‘Cats will have five consecutive away games early in the season, including facing the 2024 College Cup participant Duke on August 21. Their home opener is scheduled for August 24 against Kent State.
NU faces a tough schedule this year. The ‘Cats will square off against nine NCAA Tournament teams from last season. They will also play all 11 Big Ten opponents in a row, including six teams that competed in the NCAA tournament last year. Last year, the ‘Cats recorded only one victory in all 11 Big Ten matchups.
But on the positive side, NU will have five away Big Ten games this season, fewer than the six it played last year. Besides its eight home games, NU could save more travel time in two additional away games when it faces Illinois State and Illinois.
The Wildcats’ first exhibition against Notre Dame could be a test of how competitive this upcoming campaign will be, as the Fighting Irish received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the quarterfinals.