IU men’s soccer will play eight conference games in the fall 2021 season, per a Big Ten release Tuesday.
The season opener will be against Rutgers on Sept. 17 at Bill Armstrong Stadium.
The eight-game conference slate is a return to normal after the spring 2021 season when IU played 10 games in a conference only schedule.
This year may also be the last season in the current fall season format. The NCAA will vote on a full-season schedule in April 2022, in a vote that was delayed from April 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new season would have 13 games in the fall ending late November before resuming in March. The College Cup, normally held in December, would be held in June, later than the May championship held this year in the first Division I spring soccer season.
After facing Rutgers, IU will travel to Evanston, Illinois, to take on Northwestern on Sept. 21 before playing at Michigan State on Sept. 26.
IU returns home Oct. 1 to play Michigan. On Oct. 12, IU plays against Ohio State, then travels to Penn State for a rematch of the Big Ten Tournament championship game on Oct. 17.
IU plays Wisconsin in Bloomington on Oct. 24 before wrapping up the regular season at Maryland on Oct. 31.
According to the schedule, IU’s game against Rutgers will occur in the fourth week of the season. IU has not announced its non conference opponents for the first three weeks.
