The Red Cedar Rowdies wave MSU flags in the air while swaying together at DeMartin Stadium on Sept. 19, 2024. The Michigan State University Spartans defeated the University of Nebraska Huskers 4-1 during the Spartans' first home conference match of the year.
Michigan State Soccer is experiencing a rare moment of simultaneous success as both the women’s and men’s teams are ranked inside the top ten in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll. With the women at No. 4 and the men at No. 8, MSU is establishing itself as one of the top environments for college soccer.
The last time MSU men's soccer was ranked in the top ten was in the preseason poll in 2019, where the Spartans came in at No. 7, having spent a majority of the 2018 season in the top ten. MSU women's soccer cracked the top ten last season in Ocotber and finished the season at No. 7. The women have been consistently ranked during Hosler’s tenure, reaching No. 1 for the first time in program history in September 2024. The last time both teams were ranked simultaneously in the top 25 was in 2023. That was also the last time MSU men’s soccer was ranked at all.
Previously ranked No. 3, MSU women’s soccer dropped one spot after a scoreless draw against Eastern Michigan and a 3-2 win against No. 24 Colorado on the weekend.
MSU women’s soccer is off to a 4-0-1 start, a continuation of its momentum from the 2025 season. The result that propelled the Spartans to their high ranking this season was a 3-2 win at powerhouse No. 9 University of North Carolina, which has won a record 23 NCAA Championships.
“That is the place for college women’s soccer,” women’s soccer head coach Jeff Hosler said August 31 in a press conference. “For us to come out of there with a win, that should give us a lot of confidence going forward.”
For Hosler, the confidence built in preseason is all about the end result; his eyes are on a third Big Ten title. Early wins in the season could be the difference in seeding and even winning the Big Ten or the NCAA Championship.
“This is the second year that we have the projected number one strength of schedule,” Hosler said. “Going to North Carolina, going to Notre Dame. I think (both) are important in our overall growth and development as a team. You can’t win a Big Ten Championship unless you go on the road and win games.”
MSU men’s soccer jumped from No. 24 to No. 8 after a weekend with a 4-0 win against SIUE and a 4-1 win against Niagara. The Spartans have started 4-0, their best beginning to a season since 2017 when they went 7-0. The men's team has played four straight at home and will finish the homestand against Pitt on Thursday.
“Our strength of schedule is going to get a lot stronger here coming up,” men’s soccer head coach Damon Rensing said. “We’re looking forward to the competition.”
Rensing said the difference between this season and last is the team's attack. MSU men’s soccer has scored sixteen goals in its first four games. Rensing emphasized the importance of attacking distribution, with no player having more than 3 goals.
“We only scored nineteen goals all of last year,” Rensing said. “We’ve got a really well-rounded attack.”
For MSU sophomore Harry Cornell, a member of MSU soccer's student section, the Red Cedar Rowdies, this shared success makes the fans “a lot more energetic.”
“It really means a lot,” Cornell said. “We’re having an opportunity where every game feels meaningful for both the men’s and women’s teams. It really brings a whole new atmosphere and energy to DeMartin, which is fantastic to see. It keeps driving more and more students out, which has been really fun.”
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