KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan University men's soccer program and Head Coach Chad Wiseman have announced the 2026 schedule for the reigning Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) champions.

The Broncos will play nine home matches across their 18-match slate that includes four teams receiving votes in the final United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll. WMU's 18 regular season matches also features four NCAA Tournament teams and five teams that appeared in their conference tournament championship.

The Brown and Gold begin their 2026 campaign with three exhibition matches in early August. Western Michigan hosts its annual Brown vs. Gold exhibition at WMU Soccer Field on Wednesday, Aug. 5 between its 2026 roster. The Broncos face their first team opponent at Xavier on Saturday, Aug. 8 before returning to the Farm for a home exhibition with Oakland on Friday, Aug. 14. The Brown and Gold will begin the regular season the next week with two matches on the road starting at Kentucky on Thursday, Aug. 20 for a rematch from the 2025 season opener.

WMU then continues on the road to Dayton for a Sunday matchup on Aug. 23. The Brown and Gold return home for their first regular season match at the Farm on Thursday, Aug. 27 by welcoming Wisconsin to Kalamazoo for the first time in four years.
Western Michigan closes out the month of August with an East Coast road trip to play two NCAA Tournament teams for the first time in program history. The Broncos begin their road swing at UConn on Sunday, Aug. 30 before heading to Rhode Island for a match with Bryant on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

WMU returns to the 'Zoo for the program's annual SoccerFest celebration on Labor Day, Monday Sept. 7. The Brown and Gold will take on the Butler Bulldogs at 3 p.m. for the program's third SoccerFest match against one another. Western Michigan continues a lengthy homestand after SoccerFest with a weekend match against Seattle on Sunday, Sept. 13 before welcoming Cornell to the Farm for the first time in program history on Saturday, Sept. 19.

The Broncos return to the road for their first conference game of 2026 at Bowling Green on Friday, Sept. 25 before going to the Motor City for a match with Detroit Mercy on Tuesday, Sept. 29. WMU comes home for its longest homestand of the season, playing four matches in only 11 days. The Brown and Gold host UIC for their first home conference match on Saturday, Oct. 3.

Western Michigan then returns to non-conference play with the program's fourth match against St. Thomas and the first in four years on Tuesday. Oct. 6. The Broncos will then host an MVC Championship rematch on Sunday, Oct. 11 when Evansville visits the Farm for an evening contest. WMU rounds out its substantial home stretch by hosting Holy Cross College, an NAIA team from South Bend, on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

The Brown and Gold's final road stretch of the year consists of three matches over 14 days through the Midwest. Western Michigan plays at Drake in Des Moines on Saturday, Oct. 17 before heading to Chicago three days later to take on DePaul after six years between the program's last match. The Broncos then end their last 2026 regular season road trip at Belmont in Nashville on Friday, Oct. 30.

WMU closes out the regular season at home to start the month of November. The Brown and Gold will celebrate their graduating players with an evening match against Bradley on Wednesday, Nov. 4. The MVC Tournament will then begin with six of the league's seven squads on Sunday, Nov. 8 with the quarterfinals. Western Michigan will defend its 2025 tournament title the Championship match on Saturday, Nov. 14.

The Broncos have won two of the last three MVC Tournaments since joining the conference in 2023. WMU is also currently on a program best streak of four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances dating back to 2022 with a first round win each season.
Tickets for the 2026 season go on sale on Tuesday, July 14. For ticket information, visit WMUBroncos.com/Tickets or call the ticket office at 1-888-496-8849.

2026 Season Schedule
Aug. 5 – Brown vs. Gold (Exhibition)
Aug. 8 - @ Xavier (Exhibition)
Aug. 14 – Oakland (Exhibition)
Aug. 20 - @ Kentucky
Aug. 23 - @ Dayton
Aug. 27 – Wisconsin
Aug. 30 - @ UConn
Sept. 2 - @ Bryant
Sept. 7 – Butler (SoccerFest)
Sept. 13 – Seattle
Sept. 19 – Cornell
Sept. 25 - @ Bowling Green*
Sept. 29 - @ Detroit Mercy
Oct. 3 – UIC*
Oct. 6 – St. Thomas
Oct. 11 – Evansville*
Oct. 13 – Holy Cross College
Oct. 17 - @ Drake*
Oct. 20 - @ DePaul
Oct. 30 - @ Belmont*
Nov. 4 – Bradley*
Nov. 8 – Nov. 14 – MVC Tournament (Home Sites)

* - Denotes MVC contest