Non-Conference Schedule Set

BOULDER—A slate of nine non-conference matches is set for the start of the 2022 Colorado soccer season. The Buffaloes will host six matches at Prentup Field, leading up to the start of the Pac-12 season this coming fall.

"We put together a great, competitive preseason for 2022," head coach Danny Sanchez commented. "We think this will be a great stretch to get us ready for Pac-12 play, but we know we have to get results to put us in position for an NCAA bid."

Colorado will open at home against Weber State on Aug. 18, kicking off a three-game homestand to start the season. The Buffs will also host San Diego (Aug. 21) and Valparaiso (Aug. 26).

CU will host its inaugural Soccer Ball on August 20. The black-tie event will include a dinner, silent auction and paddle raise. All proceeds will be used for facility and equipment improvements and to enhance experiences for the team's student-athletes. 

Colorado's first road test will be at BYU on Aug. 29. The Buffs will take on the Cougars for the first time since Sept. 2017. BYU, the 2021 national runner-up, holds a 3-4-1 all-time series lead. The Buffs and Cougars played this spring, resulting in a closely-fought loss in Boulder. The agreement with BYU is part of a home-and-home series with BYU returning to Prentup Field in 2024.

"We played them [BYU] this spring and it was a great game," Sanchez recalled. "We know the challenge of going to BYU, but we're excited for that."

The Buffs' remaining home dates include Texas A&M Commerce (Sept. 1), Nebraska Omaha (Sept. 4) and Denver (Sept. 17).

Colorado's road schedule also features a key trip through Big Ten country. The Buffs will head to Ann Arbor, Mich., to take on the Wolverines (Sept. 8) and continue to East Lansing to play Michigan State (Sept. 11). It will be the first meeting between the CU and Michigan, while the Buffs and Spartans each have a win in the series.

"We have some challenges," Sanchez added. "The Wolverines made the Elite Eight last year and lost 1-0 to Florida State, and we know how good they [FSU] are. Michigan State was probably one of the last teams out of the tournament last year. Then we close non-conference with DU at home on a non-football Saturday, so we're looking for record attendance. We all know the quality of DU and how much of a rivalry there is around that."

The Pac-12 schedule and TV selections will be announced later this summer.