MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's soccer team has unveiled its first schedule as an active NCAA Division II member.
The Bobcats 2026 campaign features a 17-game schedule, including four nonconference contests and 13 CCAA matches. Prior to the official kickoff, UC Merced will scrimmage Mountain West opponent Nevada (Aug. 16) in Reno and 2025 PacWest Tournament Runner-Up Dominican (Aug. 22) on Bobcat Field.
UC Merced will open the season at Vanguard on August 27, the first ever meeting between the two teams.
Following the trip to Costa Mesa, the Bobcats will head to the state of Washington for the first time in program history and will play Saint Martin's (Sept. 3) and Central Washington (Sept. 5). Central Washington will host both games in Ellenburg, Wash.
The four-game season opening road trip concludes at Jessup on September 14.
The Bobcats begin their home campaign and CCAA play by hosting Cal State Dominguez Hills on September 18. UC Merced will then host Fresno Pacific on September 20. The Bobcats are 3-0 all-time against FPU.
A September 25 trip to the second-ranked team in the country, Cal Poly Pomona, follows. CPP was the 2024 national champion and the 2025 west region champ. UC Merced will also play at Cal State LA (Sept. 27) and Cal State East Bay (Oct. 2) before returning home.
UC Merced's early October homestand will see Cal State San Bernardino (Oct. 4) and Cal State Monterey Bay (Oct. 9) visit Bobcat Field.
Road matches follow at Stanislaus State (Oct. 11), Cal Poly Humboldt (Oct. 15), and Chico State (Oct. 17). The three game-road trip puts the Bobcats up against the 2025 CCAA Tournament Champion (Humboldt) and two teams that received votes in the 2026 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II preseason poll.
UC Merced and Menlo College will meet for the 14th time in program history on October 22 at Bobcat Field. The two teams haven't met in the regular season since 2023. The match also kicks off a season-ending three-game homestand.
UC Merced will host Cal State San Marcos on October 24 and conclude the regular season against San Francisco State on October 29.
The CCAA Women's Soccer Tournament is set to begin on November 1 on campus sites, while the semifinals and final will be in Pomona Nov. 6-8. UC Merced is eligible to qualify for the CCAA and NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time.
Click here for UC Merced women's soccer's full 2026 schedule.
