Division I college soccer is already underway, but this week the biggest conference in the Upper Midwest begins their 2026 soccer season. Unlike the Big Ten, Summit League, MIAC, or UMAC the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference only sponsors women's soccer and does not have a men's league. Only two of the sixteen member schools, Jamestown and St. Cloud State, sponsor the sport on the men's side. Jamestown having done so while playing in the NAIA and SCSU adding the sport following the discontinuation of their football program.
Those two schools will play each other once in 2026 on the men's side, but the NSIC is a premier conference in women's soccer. Minnesota State leads the pack with constant NCAA Tournament appearances and a 2024 National Championship appearance. Behind the Mavs lies the rest of the conference and in 2026 MSU was picked by the coaches to take the titles for a third straight season.
NSIC Coaches Poll
- Minnesota State Mavericks
Easily the best team in the NSIC, MSU is gunning for their third straight NSIC regular season and tournament titles. The Mavs have only lost 21 NSIC matches in almost 20 seasons in the league. - Concordia-St.Paul Golden Bears
If there is one team who can unseat the Mavericks it's the Twin Cities only DII school in Concordia-St. Paul. The Golden Bears were 9-3-3 in NSIC play last season and came close to winning the conference, but fell to MSU in a shootout. - Bemidji State Beavers
The Beavers built a formidable dam in 2025, recording a top 5 goals against average in their program's history. They are tabbed third in the preseason poll behind MSU Mankato and Concordia St Paul. - Augustana (SD) Vikings
Augustana are the higher of the two Sioux Falls teams heading into 2026. Led defensively by Sioux Falls native Ashlyn Kelliher (Jr) the Vikings have a solid core, but have to prove their a top tier side in the league. - St. Cloud State Huskies
With no football team the Women's (and also Men's) soccer programs carry fall sports at St. Cloud State. Linsey Trapino (Sr) leads the Huskies offence into 2026 after netting eight goals in her junior season. - Mary Marauders
Mary's high water mark has so far been a close loss to MSU Mankato in 2021. Under the continued guidance of Mary Hall of Famer Sarah Cook, they have been projected as 6th in the preseason poll. - Northern State (SD) Wolves
Aberdeen has seen little to get excited about in the Wolves' NSIC existence, during which they are 8-17-2 (W-L-D) and the club are expected to merely duplicate their 7th seed of last year in 2026. - Minot State Beavers
In the Magic City, the Beavers are in flux following the resignation of their first year coach for personal reasons in May of this year. Chris Logan led the club to a fourth seed, before losing an opening round playoff game. Their attacking soccer gained them the fifth most goals in single season MSU history. - Winona State Warriors
No longer the NSIC powerhouse they once were the Warriors came one point shy of making the NSIC tournament last season. Pegged by the NSIC coaches to finish in the same spot, the Warriors have the talent to make the tournament in 2026. - Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs
There's little faith of a Renaissance along the banks of Lake Superior where the Bulldogs won several NSIC championships in the 1990s and 2000s., The Bulldogs are tabbed to miss the playoffs this season. 35th year coach Greg Cane is enthusiastic, nonetheless. - Wayne State (NE) Wildcats
Nebraska's only school in the NSIC, Wayne State have typically been one of the lower table sides in the league with a .372 all time winning percentage in the conference. Sixth year head coach Emily Hester leads the Wildcats and has done a good job in slowly pushing the Wildcats up the NSIC pecking order. - Sioux Falls Cougars
The other of Sioux Falls two teams in the conference, the Cougars are picked to finish eight places lower than their city rivals Augustana. After one season in charge Joe DeMay (Sioux Falls City FC) has left USF and the Cougars are led by first year head coach Andy Janssen. - Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs
Wide open prairies in Southwestern Minnesota are perfect for Mustangs to roam, unfortunately for SMSU that hasn't help the soccer team who have struggled for years, Last making the NSIC tournament in 2019, the Mustangs are picked by the coaches to finish in the bottom four. - Jamestown Jimmies
Transition from NAIA last year was tough on the Jimmies, who went 2-13-1 (W-L-D). They are not projected to improve much, coming in just ahead of Crookston and Moorhead in the preseason poll. - Minnesota-Crookston Golden Eagles
The Golden Eagles are in a tough stretch, but were able to limit the bleeding somewhat in 2025, with 7 one-goal games. The coaching staff only took over last year. - MSU-Moorhead Dragons
The old adage that you have to have strong shoulders to hold up the entire league means the perennial underachievers of Moorhead must be very strong. The team has a new head coach, in the shape of biochemistry PhD Scott Forster and will be hoping to at least outperform the Golden Eagles up Highway 75.
Matches This Week
Thursday, 27 August
Mary vs Western Oregon - 1pm in Bismarck, ND
SW MN State vs Ferris State - 1pm in Marshall, MN
Winona State vs UW-Parkside - 5pm in Winona, MN
Cal Poly-Pomona vs Minot State - 6:30pm in Pomona, CA
Black Hills State vs Sioux Falls - 7pm in Spearfish, SD
Montana State-Billings vs Minnesota-Crookston - 7pm in Billings, MT
Friday, 28 August
Northern Michigan vs St. Cloud State - TBD in Marquette, MI
Northern State (SD) vs Northwest Missouri State - 12pm in Aberdeen, SD
Wayne State (NE) vs Morningside (IA-NAIA) - 4pm in Wayne, NE
Michigan Tech vs Minnesota-Duluth - 5pm in Houghton, MI
Southern Nazarene vs Augustana (SD) - 6pm in Bethany, OK
Bemidji State vs Missouri Western - 7pm in Bemidji, MN
Central Oklahoma vs Minnesota State - 7pm in Edmond, OK
NSJ Division II Match of the Week
Saturday, 29 August
Black Hills State vs Minnesota-Crookston - 11am in Spearfish, SD
Concordia-St. Paul vs Ferris State - 1pm in St. Paul, MN
Cal State-LA vs Minot State - 6pm in Los Angeles, CA
Sunday, 30 August
Michigan Tech vs St. Cloud State - TBD in Houghton, MI
Northern State (SD) vs Missouri Western - 11am in Aberdeen, SD
Northern Michigan vs Minnesota-Duluth - 11am in Marquette, MI
Roosevelt (IL) vs Jamestown - 12pm in Arlington Heights, IL
Central Oklahoma vs Augustana (SD) - 12pm in Edmond, OK
Upper Iowa vs SW MN State - 12pm in Fayette, IA
Bemidji State vs Northwest Missouri State - 1pm in Bemidji, MN
Sioux Falls vs Dakota State (NAIA) - 5pm in Sioux Falls, SD
Monday, 31 August
Minnesota-Crookston vs MSU-Moorhead - 3pm in Crookston, MN (Non-Conference match between NSIC members)
