Utah State soccer (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Pac-12) officially opens its 2026 campaign this week as the Aggies travel to Lawrence, Kansas, to face No. 15 Kansas on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at 6 p.m. (MT), before returning to Logan for its home opener against Michigan on Sunday, Aug. 16, at 7 p.m., at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field.  

FOLLOW ALONG

Wednesday's match will be streamed on ESPN+. Sunday's match, along with all home and league contests this season, will be streamed free on the Pac-12 YouTube channel. Fans can also follow along via StatBroadcast, with stream and stat links available on the team's schedule page at www.utahstateaggies.com.

The Champs (X3) ARE BACK!

Utah State is coming off of back-to-back-to-back league tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances in the past three years. The Aggies are one of just five non-P5/Big East teams to make each of the past three NCAA Tournaments (South Dakota State, Pepperdine, Milwaukee, Maine). 

Prior to this stretch of three-straight tournament bids, the Aggies had played in just two tournaments in program history.  

NEW LEAGUE, WHO DIS?

After spending the past 13 seasons in the Mountain West Conference, Utah State made the jump to the Pac-12 this season, along with fellow MW schools Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State. Those teams joined existing members Oregon State and Washington State, while Gonzaga and Texas State were added as well.

AGGIES IN SEASON OPENERS

Utah State is 14-13-3 all-time in season openers, and is undefeated in season openers under head coach Manny Martins with a 3-0-2 record. Last season, USU opened the year with a 1-0 win on the road over Washington State.

PICKING THE PAC

Utah State was picked to win the Pac-12 by the league's coaches in the preseason poll. The Aggies were picked ahead of (2) Texas State, (3) Boise State, (4) San Diego State, (5) Washington State, (t6) Colorado State, (T6) Gonzaga, (8) Fresno State and (9) Oregon State.

Additionally, the three players representing USU on the Pac-12 Preseason Impact List include junior defender Kaeda Wilson and sophomore midfielders Kunie Hirai and Mia Lopez. 

AGGIES VS JAYHAWKS

Wednesday's game will be just the second all-time meeting between Utah State and Kansas. The only other matchup was last season when the Jayhawks came to Logan, a 0-0 draw in a dead even contest. Each side recorded four shots on goal, while Kansas posted a 10-9 edge in total shots.

All-time against current members of the Big 12, USU is 13-43-5, but is 3-2-3 over the past two seasons.

SCOUTING THE JAYHAWKS

• Kansas is coming off of a 16-6-3 campaign in 2025 which included a 6-4-1 mark in Big 12 play. 

• The Jayhawks made a run to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, defeating California Baptist and Louisville before falling to eventual Final Four squad Duke. 

• The team returns seven starters, including second-leading scorer Jillian Gregorski (11 goals) and All-American defender Caroline Castans. 

• Kansas was picked third in this year's Big 12 Preseason Poll.  

AGGIES VS WOLVERINES

Sunday's game will be the first all-time meeting between Utah State and Michigan. 

The Aggies are winless all-time against the Big Ten at 0-11-3, but have faced just one team from the league under Manny Martins — a 0-0 draw versus Washington (1-3 PKs) in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. 

SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES

• Michigan is coming off of a 6-8-4 campaign in 2025 which included a 3-4-4 mark in Big Ten play. 

• The Wolverines hired coach Dave Dilanni this summer, who spent the past 12 seasons at Iowa with a 125-82-30 record. 

• The team returns eight starters, including its top-two leading scorers Elle Ervin (7 goals) and Gabrielle Prych (6 goals).

• Michigan was picked 11th in this year's Big Ten Preseason Poll.  

PUTTING IT TO THE TEST

Utah State will play one of the nation's most-challenging nonconference schedules this season, a slate which features six power conference opponents, eight teams which finished last season in the top 85 in RPI and five teams which made the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Entering the season, it ranks tied for the 20th-toughest nonconference schedule in the country, and the toughest by a non-P4/Big East squad. 

2025 HONORS

Utah State was well-represented with postseason honors last season. Those returning include:

• Junior midfielder Austin Miller was named to the All-Mountain West Second Team

• Sophomore defender Summer Sofonia was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Pacific Region First Team, the only freshman in the country to earn all-region first-team accolades. 

• Head coach Manny Martins and staff were named the Pacific Region Coaching Staff of the Year for the third-straight season. 

HERE TO STAY

Utah State head coach Manny Martins, who has led the Aggies to the winningest five-year stretch in program history during his time in Logan, signed a contract extension following last season which will keep him in Logan through at least the 2030 season. 

U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A!

Utah State has several players who have spent time on the national stage recently:  

• Sophomore midfielder Mia Lopez was called up to the U-19 US Women's National Team for camps this spring and summer in Portugal, Argentina and Georgia. 

• Sophomore defender Capriel Winder spent a week with the U-20 US Women's National Team at its training camp in Kansas City last October. 

• Junior forward Austin Miller and sophomore forward Kunie Hirai were selected for the US Soccer College Talent ID Camp in June of 2025. 

WELCOME TO BELL

• Chuck & Gloria Bell Field has been one of the most difficult places in the country for opposing teams to play in recent years. Utah State has gone undefeated at home each of the past two years, including a 6-0-3 record at Bell Field in 2025. 

• In the past five years under Manny Martins, Utah State holds a 36-5-9 home record. During those games, the Aggies have out-scored opponents by a combined 114-34.

• In the last two seasons, USU is 13-0-5 at home and has out-scored opponents by a combined 58-10.

• All-time, Utah State is 131-49-33 at home.

MARTINS MAGIC

• Utah State head coach Manny Martins, the two-time Mountain West Coach of the Year (2023, 24) and three-time Pacific Region Coach of the Year (2023, 24, 25) has led the most successful stretch of Aggie soccer in program history. 

• As the head coach at USU, he has a 63-26-24 (.664) record, including a 31-15-11 (.640) mark in conference games. In the three years prior to his arrival, the team won just 16 total games.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Under coach Manny Martins, USU has established a reputation as one of the nation's top defenses, allowing less than a goal per game every year. The past five seasons combined, the Aggies have limited opponents to 0.81 goals per game. Four of the top seven seasons for goals allowed average in program history have come under Martins.

SISTER, SISTER

Utah State's 2026 roster includes three pairs of sisters. The Aggies the only team in the country with three three sets of siblings. 

• Sophomore forward Samantha Sellers is the younger sister of senior defender Solena Sellers. 

• Sophomore midfield/defender Capriel Winder is the younger sister of junior defender Talia Winder. 

• Sophomore midfield/forward Hadli Barrera and sophomore defender Bentli Barrera are twins.

UP NEXT

Utah State will remain at home to host WCC-foe Portland on Thursday, Aug. 20, at 7:30 p.m., at Chuck & Gloria Bell Field.