Arizona Wildcats Women’s Soccer To Face Top-Ranked Opponents in Big 12 Debut
The Arizona Wildcats women’s soccer team will play seven non-conference games and 11 games in its new conference, the Big 12, as the 2024-25 season kicks off this week.
In addition, the Wildcats will face a pair of Top 10 teams in the United Soccer Coaches’ preseason Top 25, released earlier this month. One of those matches will be in Big 12 play.
The Wildcats will travel to Phoenix on Thursday to face Grand Canyon in the first of seven non-league games.
Arizona’s biggest non-conference match is its cross-country trip to perennial power North Carolina on Aug. 25. The Tar Heels are tied for No. 8 in the preseason poll.
Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah joined the Big 12 officially in August. The Wildcats Will play two of its three former Pac-12 rivals this season.
The Wildcats will host five home matches and six away matches during the conference part of the season. Arizona will not play Texas Tech, Colorado, Oklahoma State and Iowa State this season as part of the league’s unbalanced schedule.
Arizona avoided the Lady Raiders, who were tied for eighth in the preseason poll.
Arizona will spend the start of Big 12 play on the road, with three straight games at Utah, Baylor and TCU in a 10-day period. The reward is a three-game homestand against Cincinnati, West Virginia and Baylor, the last of which reached last year’s College Cup, or women’s soccer Final Four.
BYU — which was picked No. 3 in the country in the preseason poll — was narrowly picked by the coaches to win the Big 12, finishing just one point ahead of Texas Tech. TCU received the only other first-place vote and was picked to finish third. TCU also received votes but was outside the Top 25 in the preseason poll.
Coaches selected Arizona in a tie for 10th with Utah.
Arizona wraps up its schedule with three games in Arizona, two of which are at home. The season finale is the rivalry game with Arizona State, which this season will be in Tempe.
The Big 12 women’s tournament will be held Oct. 30-Nov. 9 at CPKC Stadium, the home of the NWSL’s Kansas City Current.
Arizona is coming off a 6-8-5 season, with a 3-6-2 record in Pac-12 play. Fifth-year forward Nicole Dallin was the only Arizona player named to the Big 12 Preseason All-Conference team. The Wildcats beat UNLV, 2-1, in their only scrimmage leading up to the season.
Arizona 2024-25 Women’s Soccer Schedule
(all times local; *-Big 12 Conference game)
(home games at Murphey Field at Mulcahy Stadium, Tucson, Ariz.)
Aug 15 at Grand Canyon, 7 p.m., ESPN+
Aug 18 vs. Pacific, 11:30 AM
Aug 22 vs. Northern Arizona, 7:00 PM
Aug 25 at North Carolina, 9:00 AM
Aug 29 at Pepperdine, 3:00 PM
Sep 1 at UC Irvine, 1:00 PM
Sep 5 vs. New Mexico State, 7:00 PM
Sep 12 at Utah*, 6:00 PM
Sep 19 at Baylor*, 5:00 PM
Sep 22 at TCU*, 11:00 AM
Sep 26 vs. Cincinnati*, 7:00 PM
Sep 29 vs. West Virginia*, 11:00 AM
Oct 4 vs. BYU*, 7:00 PM
Oct 10 at UCF*, 4:00 PM
Oct 13 at Houston*, 11:00 AM
Oct 17 vs. Kansas*, 7:00 PM
Oct 20 vs. Kansas State*, 1:00 PM
Oct 25 at Arizona State*, 7:00 PM
MATT POSTINS