FARMINGTON, Minn. – Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) women's soccer teams are back on the field for the 2026 season.
Ten MIAC squads are set to begin regular-season competition on Tuesday, September 1, and nine will host at least one home game during the season's opening week. The 2026 slate of conference games is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, September 16.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the top six teams in the conference standings will advance on to the 2026 MIAC Women's Soccer Playoffs. Quarterfinal contests are scheduled for Tuesday, November 3, followed by semifinals on Thursday, November 5, and the MIAC Playoff Championship on Saturday, November 7.
The winner of the MIAC Playoffs will receive the conference's automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament. The 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer National Championships are scheduled for December 3-6, 2026, at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, with Capital University serving as the host institution.
The bracket for the national tournament will be unveiled during the Selection Show on Monday, November 9. After the automatic qualifiers have been awarded to conference champions across Division III, the remaining NCAA Tournament qualifiers will be selected "at-large" via the NCAA Power Index (NPI). The Women's Soccer NPI will calculate winning percentage, strength of schedule, home-away results, and quality wins to rank teams for at-large postseason consideration.
2025 FINAL STANDINGS
St. Catherine (17-4-0, 10-1-0)*%
Carleton (18-3-3, 9-1-1)#%
St. Olaf (15-3-2, 8-1-2)
Augsburg (10-8-1, 6-4-1)
Macalester (9-6-2, 5-4-2)
Saint Mary's (10-6-3, 4-4-3)
Saint Benedict (7-11-0, 5-6-0)
Gustavus (7-6-5, 4-5-2)
Bethel (3-13-2, 3-7-1)
St. Scholastica (4-12-4, 2-7-2)
Hamline (39-7, 1-8-2)
Concordia (0-12-5, 0-9-2)
*MIAC Regular Season Champion
#MIAC Playoff Champion
%NCAA Championship Participant
RULE CHANGES
The NCAA Men's and Women's Soccer Rules Committee and the Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved several rule changes in effect for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. The maximum width of the field of play has been increased from 75 yards to 80 yards to align with IFAB standards for international matches. Data-collecting devices may now be worn on the wrist or arm if properly taped down and padded. Additionally, when there is a margin of five or more goals during the last 15 minutes of the second half, the clock will only stop for serious injuries and video reviews. Normal timing rules will resume if the margin drops below five goals. The committee also ruled that if goalkeepers hold onto a live ball for more than eight seconds, a corner kick will be awarded, and all yellow cards issued to bench personnel during a game shall be charged against the head coach for the purposes of accumulation.
MIAC SPORTS NETWORK
The MIAC Sports Network powered by Hudl is the streaming home of all MIAC-hosted games, events, and championships. The MIAC Sports Network is available on the web (https://miacsportsnetwork.com/) along with streaming apps for television and mobile devices, including Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku (TV), iOS, Android (mobile), and Amazon Fire Tablet. The app can be found and installed free of charge by searching for the MIAC Sports Network.
The 2026 MIAC Women's Soccer Playoffs will again be streamed live on the MIAC Sports Network in a pay-per-view format. Details and information on purchasing pay-per-view access will be made available in advance of the conference playoffs. Access and availability of regular-season match streams will not be impacted by this policy change.
AWARD WATCH
MIAC coaches will vote on the 2026 MIAC Women's Soccer All-Conference honors at the conclusion of the regular season. In addition to a 22-player All-MIAC squad, coaches will also vote on individual awards for the MIAC Offensive, Defensive, Rookie, and Coach of the Year.
Throughout the regular season, the MIAC will recognize top individual performances with the MIAC Women's Soccer Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week awards. Athlete of the Week awards will begin on Tuesday, September 8, and be announced each Monday through the end of the regular season. During the week following the MIAC Playoffs, participating coaches will also select an 11-player All-Playoff Team in recognition of outstanding performances throughout the conference tournament.
FOR THE RECORD
The online MIAC Women's Soccer Record Book features historical standings, all-time award winners, record information, and more. The information included in the record book is based on available data and research for additional historical documents is ongoing.
LOOKING AHEAD
United Soccer Coaches Preseason Rankings: No. 16 Carleton
First Non-Conference Game Date: Tuesday, September 1
First Conference Game Date: Wednesday, September 16
MIAC Playoffs: Tuesday, November 3 (QF), Thursday, November 5 (SF), Saturday, November 7 (Championship)
Season Links: Standings | Schedule | News | Statistics | Athletes of the Week | Playoffs | Record Book