WVU Men’s Soccer takes the pitch for its first official match of the season Thursday, traveling to Charlotte to face the 49ers in a non-conference battle. It is the first of 17 matches listed on the regular season slate, stretching through November 3. Read more: How WVU Men’s Soccer has fared against its 2026 opponents in the past.
The Mountaineers enter the season ranked No. 23 in the United States Soccer Coaches men’s soccer poll.
Related: United States Soccer Coaches Top 25 polls shows love to both Mountaineer soccer programs
WVU holds the all-time advantage against its entire field of 2026 foes, 90-50-29.
Non-conference
WVU leads the all-time series against six of its eight non-conference opponents on the schedule this season. Akron is the only opponent which has the upper hand on the Mountaineers. WVU has never played Denver.
- Charlotte (WVU leads, 1-0-1)
- St. Bonaventure (WVU leads, 10-1)
- UNC-Greensboro (WVU leads, 3-1-1)
- Akron (Akron leads, 4-18-3)
- George Mason (WVU leads, 4-2)
- Denver (first-time matchup)
- Duquesne (WVU leads, 6-1-2)
- American (WVU leads, 9-1-1)
Overall, WVU holds a 37-24-10 record over the conglomerate. Remove Akron from the mix and the Mountaineers are 33-6-7, making for quite the eye-catching statistic.
Sun Belt slate
When it comes to Sun Belt Conference numbers, WVU leads the all-time series against six of its nine foes. The Mountaineers trail in the Kentucky and JMU series, and are split evenly with UCF.
- Georgia State (WVU leads, 6-2)
- Marshall (WVU leads, 18-9-4)
- South Carolina (WVU leads, 4-1-1)
- Old Dominion (WVU leads, 7-1-3)
- Kentucky (UK leads, 4-1-2)
- UCF (series split, 2-2-2)
- Georgia Southern (WVU leads, 5-0-1)
- Coastal Carolina (WVU leads, 6-1-3)
- James Madison (JMU leads, 6-4-3)
Overall, WVU holds a 53-26-19 record against the bunch. Since joining the Sun Belt for men’s soccer prior to the 2022 season, the Mountaineers have hoisted a regular season and tournament title, both coming in 2024.
WVU is projected to win the Sun Belt Conference, as per the conference’s preseason selections.
First opponent this season
It will be just the third-ever meeting between WVU and Charlotte when the two squads clash Thursday at Jen Gaber Field. WVU Athletics lists the first meeting as a double-overtime stalemate on September 10, 2019. Both teams left Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in Morgantown with a tie in the record books.
The Mountaineers and 49ers met once again, this time in North Carolina, in February 2021. This is due to the 2020 season being delayed from the pandemic. WVU picked up a 3-0 victory in the outing.
Related: How WVU Women’s Soccer has fared against its 2026 opponents in the past
Related: Second-half goals propel WVU Women’s Soccer past Dayton in season-opener
Kickoff is almost here, and Thursday’s match is available to watch at 7 p.m. on ESPN+ exclusively. Stay up to date with WV Sports Nation, both on the website and on the social media front. Score updates from our staff will be available during the match on X (Twitter) by searching for @_wvsportsnation.
