OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) – The University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh announced Monday that men’s soccer will return as a varsity sport beginning in the fall of 2027.
Chancellor Manohar Singh and Assistant Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Darryl Sims said the addition will make men’s soccer the university’s 22nd varsity sport. A national search for a head coach will begin immediately to allow time to recruit the 2026 and 2027 classes and build a competitive schedule.
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UW-Oshkosh will compete in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, bringing the league to seven programs. The conference champion earns an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Championship, with additional at-large bids determined by the NCAA Power Index.
University leaders said the decision aligns with growth in the sport across the WIAC and Wisconsin and is expected to boost enrollment by attracting student-athletes seeking both academic and athletic opportunities. Officials also cited strong support from alumni and the soccer community as key factors in the program’s return.
The Titans will play home matches at J.J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium, which also hosts women’s soccer, football and women’s flag football.
Men’s soccer was previously sponsored at UW-Oshkosh from 1984 through 2015. During that span, the Titans compiled a 423-122-55 record, won WIAC regular-season titles in 2010 and 2014 and advanced to 14 NCAA Championships. The program reached the national semifinals four times and posted a 19-12-3 record in NCAA tournament play.
Former head coach Toby Bares led the program from its inaugural 1984 season through 2009, guiding the Titans to 11 NCAA appearances and producing six All-Americans. He finished with a 344-99-38 record, ranking among Division III’s winningest coaches. Wytse Molenaar led the team from 2010 through 2015, capturing both conference championships and posting a 79-23-17 record.
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The program was discontinued after the 2015 season due to conference affiliation challenges, the lack of an automatic NCAA tournament qualifier at the time and Title IX roster considerations. Since then, the men’s soccer landscape within the WIAC has expanded, with UW-Eau Claire starting a program in 2021 and UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Stout adding teams in 2024. The WIAC resumed its automatic-qualifying men’s soccer tournament in 2024.
University officials said renewed conference stability and sustained interest in the sport regionally and nationally helped make the program’s return possible.
