Oregon State Men's Soccer Preview: A Quick Look at the Beavers' Nonconference Schedule
The 2024 Oregon State Soccer season is about to kick off, and before that happens here's a quick down of the teams the Beavers will be seeing on this year's nonconference schedule.
August 9th at Seattle and August 12th vs Portland
Before the season gets started the Beavers have a pair of exhibition games. The game against Portland will be very interesting. Even before OSU joined the WCC the two teams had a bit of a rivalry, with the Beavers knocking the Pilots out of the NCAA Tournament last season.
August 22 vs UC Irvine
The season starts in earnest with a visit from the Anteaters. Last season UC Irvine was a decent squad, but an impressive run in the Big West tournament got them to the NCAA Tournament, where they lost in the first round against LMU.
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August 26 at Washington
The Beavers Big Ten road trip begins with a visit to a former conference rival. Last season the Beavers beat the Huskies in Seattle and tied them in Corvallis, so this could be our first good look at how this year's OSU team compares to last year's.
August 30 at Michigan
September 2 at Michigan State
The Beavers swing through Michigan. Last year the Big Ten boiled down to Indiana and everyone else, with the Wolverines and Spartans solidly in the everyone else camp. They were both decent, Michigan was 5-6-7 overall and Michigan State was 7-2-7 overall, but nobody could keep pace with the Hoosiers.
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September 8 vs UC Davis
The Beavers return to Corvallis to face off with another Big West squad, and one that just missed out on last year's NCAA Tournament. The Aggies lost to the perfidious Anteaters on Penalty Kicks in the Big West Championship.
September 15 vs San Diego State
Last year's Aztecs team really struggled, going winless in the WAC. They've since picked up some talent through the transfer portal, but it should still be a struggle to compete with a team like the Beavers.
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September 25 at Utah Valley
Finally, the Beavers finish off the non-conference schedule with a trip to Orem for a rematch with Utah Valley. Last season Oregon State took down the Wolverines 4-1, and it would be surprising if this year's game went much different. If all goes well this should be a good tune up game for Oregon State before their conference schedule begins.
Arguably, the most interesting thing about this schedule is how few "easy" games are on it. San Diego State and Utah Valley struggled last season for sure, but even Utah Valley is a road game. The Big Ten trip is probably going to be a big test for how quickly this year's team is able to come together.
Having grown up in Pocatello, home of the Idaho State Bengals, John Severs is a lifelong fan of small schools that don't always deliver a lot of wins. Prior to writing for Sports Illustrated, John covered the Beavers for SB Nation's Oregon State blog Building the Dam, with a focus on baseball and women's basketball. When he's not watching college sports he spends most of his time reading, playing video games and annoying cats.