Daniel Deluna

With only a month left before the 2023 Texas soccer season begins, it won’t be long until the reigning Big 12 regular season champions return to campus. The Longhorns will kick off the fall semester against the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders on August 12 as they look to repeat last season’s success. Here are the top games to watch this season: 

LSU

Ranked just three places behind No. 25 Texas after the 2022 season, Louisiana State will play Texas on Thursday, August 24, at the Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin. With LSU being the only SEC team to face the Longhorns in the regular season, this game will preview how Texas might fit into the conference. Last season, the Tigers had a conference record of 4-2-4 and an overall record of 10-4-7, led by sophomore midfielder Ida Hermannsdottir, who will be a challenge for Texas defenders. In her freshman year, Hermannsdottir led the Tigers with seven goals and 16 points and ranks ninth in the SEC for goals per game. 

University of Central Florida

For the first time in the program’s history, UCF will play in the Big 12 Conference. UCF had an impressive season last year; with an overall record of 9-2-7, they earned a spot in the NCAA tournament. The Knights reached the tournament’s second round, losing to 2022 NCAA national champion UCLA in penalty kicks. In a non-conference game against the Longhorns, the Knights left the score tied 2-2. But UCF kicked off this year’s spring season with a 2-0 win against Florida, a signal that Texas shouldn’t ignore. Although UCF lost multiple senior players, their success lies in the hands of head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak, who was brought on as an assistant coach on Vlatko Andonovski’s USWNT staff for the 2023 World Cup.

Oklahoma 

In blowout fashion, the Longhorns beat the Sooners 3-1 in a Big 12 conference game last season. The Sooners finished their 2022 season with a 3-5-1 Big 12 record and a 9-8-3 overall record. Recently, Oklahoma has made some big changes to its coaching staff, with Matt Mott, the former Ole Miss head coach, chosen to replace Mark Carr. Mott coached Ole Miss to six of the program’s 10 all-time NCAA tournament appearances, so the new coaching strategy may prove challenging for the Longhorns. The redshirt senior star forward Emma Hawkins will also be playing next season, so Texas must be vigilant with her on the field. The Red River Rivalry match will occur on October 12 in Norman, Oklahoma.  

TCU 

In the final Big 12 conference game of Texas’ season, the Longhorns will play rival TCU on Monday, October 23, in the Mike Myers Stadium. Last year, the Horned Frogs tied the Longhorns 1-1 in a conference game while boasting an impressive 14-5-5 overall record. TCU lost against West Virginia in the Big 12 Championship and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament, showing they have what it takes to compete against a tough Texas squad. Although TCU’s star player Messiah Bright will not return for another year, graduate student and midfielder Gracie Brian will ensure TCU stays on top. In the 2022 season, Brian accumulated six goals and four assists, and she is now tied for third on the roster for most goals scored with 28 points.