SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- A new-look Summit League men's soccer landscape awaits in 2026, with Kansas City entering the season as the defending regular-season champion and preseason favorite.
The Roos return after making their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025, earning the first at-large bid in program history and advancing to the second round. Kansas City finished 12-4-5 overall and 4-1-1 in league play while returning three First Team All-Summit League selections in Jeremy Francou, Guille Munoz and Bryce Outman.
Delaware enters its second Summit League season after an impressive debut campaign. The Blue Hens went 12-2-3 overall, finished second in the regular-season standings and advanced to the league championship semifinals. Delaware also led the nation in scoring offense at 2.82 goals per game and returns the league's top two point and goal scorers from 2025 in Marius Stenner and Rich Monath.
While Kansas City and Delaware occupy the top two spots in the preseason coaches' poll, Massachusetts, Oral Roberts, Omaha and St. Thomas will look to challenge for a spot in the championship. St. Thomas enters the season following the best campaign of its Division I era, while Massachusetts faces five teams ranked in the preseason Top 25 during its nonconference slate.
With Kansas City looking to make a third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and a new six-team championship format in place, the 2026 season marks a new chapter for Summit League men's soccer.
You can catch all home games on the
Summit League Network.
UPCOMING
Thursday, Aug. 20 | TV/Stream | Time (Local)
Detroit Mercy at St. Thomas | SLN | 1 p.m. CT
UMass at (10/19) Bryant | ESPN+ | 6 p.m. ET
Howard at Delaware | SLN | 7 p.m. ET
UC Riverside at Oral Roberts | SLN | 7 p.m. CT
Eastern Illinois at Omaha | SLN | 7 p.m. CT
SIUE at (25/23) Kansas City | SLN | 7:30 p.m. CT
Sunday, Aug. 23 | TV/Stream
Temple at Delaware | SLN | 12 p.m. ET
(24/NR)UConn at UMass | SLN | 1 p.m. ET
Green Bay at St. Thomas | SLN | 1 p.m. CT
UIC at Omaha | SLN | 7 p.m. CT
Florida International at Omaha | SLN | 7 p.m. CT
Tuesday, Aug. 25 | TV/Stream
UNLV at (25/23) Kansas City | SLN | 7:30 p.m. CT
Top 25 Rankings (United Soccer Coaches/Top Drawer)
Key: ESPN+ (ESPN Plus), SLN (Summit League Network)
AROUND THE LEAGUE
• Preseason favorite Kansas City opens the 2026 campaign with three consecutive home matches, beginning with SIUE on Aug. 20 before welcoming UNLV on Aug. 25 and San Francisco on Aug. 30.
• The Roos enter the season ranked No. 25 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll and No. 23 in the Top Drawer Soccer preseason rankings.
• Kansas City is coming off its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and will pursue a third straight trip to the national tournament in 2026.
• Kansas City’s Aug. 20 opener against SIUE will serve as a 25th anniversary celebration of the 2001 Roos, the first Kansas City team to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
• The Roos will also welcome Michigan State to Durwood Soccer Stadium on Sept. 11, marking Kansas City’s first home match against a Big Ten opponent since 2017.
• Delaware returns the league’s leading point and goal scorers from 2025 in Marius Stenner and Rich Monath. Stenner led the league with 31 points, while Monath paced the conference with 12 goals.
• Stenner and Monath combined for 23 goals and 57 points during Delaware’s 2025 campaign, helping the Blue Hens finish with the nation’s top scoring offense at 2.82 goals per game.
• Delaware’s Stenner and Monath joined Kansas City’s Jeremy Francou on the United Soccer Coaches 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Players to Watch list.
• Delaware and Kansas City are the only Summit League teams returning three First Team All-League selections from a season ago. The Blue Hens bring back Rich Monath, Jan Schroeder and Marius Stenner, while the Roos return Jeremy Francou, Guille Munoz and Bryce Outman.
• Delaware enters its second Summit League season after posting a 12-2-3 record in 2025, including an 8-0 mark at home. The Blue Hens also finished the season ranked first nationally in scoring offense and points per game.
• Massachusetts opens the season with a challenging schedule, playing five of its 17 regular-season matches against teams listed in the preseason Top 25: Bryant, UConn, Princeton, Vermont and Kansas City.
• Oral Roberts begins its nonconference schedule with back-to-back home matches against UC Riverside on Aug. 20 and UIC on Aug. 23 before embarking on a stretch of road matches.
• Omaha opens the 2026 season at home against Eastern Illinois on Aug. 21 before welcoming FIU to Caniglia Field on Aug. 24.
• St. Thomas begins the season defending South Field against Detroit Mercy on Aug. 20 before hosting Green Bay and Chicago State. The Tommies are coming off the best season of their Division I era, finishing 7-5-5 in 2025.
• The 2026 Summit League men’s soccer season will feature a six-team, single round-robin conference schedule, with league play beginning Sept. 26.
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