Go WEST young man (and NORTH)

[Kuiper]

Lewis & Clark snares a D2 transfer, which may be a first for the program that looked like it was on the verge of getting its first win a couple of times last season. Zac Levin, a striker from Westminster University in Utah who was a 2-time all-Oregon player in HS, announced the move on his Instagram page.

[Ron Boerger]

UDallas removes the interim tag from now HC Chase Reynolds, stating "he successfully completed his first season at the helm and laid a strong foundation for cultural growth and long-term success within the Crusader program."  The Crusaders were 0-15-1, 0-11 SCAC, in his first season and were outscored 67-8.  A scoreless tie at NCCAA Dallas Christian, in which keeper Andres San Ramon made 19 saves, was the sole highlight of the season. 

[Kuiper]

UDallas removes the interim tag from now HC Chase Reynolds, stating "he successfully completed his first season at the helm and laid a strong foundation for cultural growth and long-term success within the Crusader program."  The Crusaders were 0-15-1, 0-11 SCAC, in his first season and were outscored 67-8.  A scoreless tie at NCCAA Dallas Christian, in which keeper Andres San Ramon made 19 saves, was the sole highlight of the season. 

Maybe "laid a strong foundation" means he successfully recruited enough players for next season to meet his quota?

[Ron Boerger]

Maybe they're looking at what Matt Walker did at UW-RF yesterday - his teams were a combined 3-27 his first three seasons but won the football championship the first time they made the playoffs in his fifteen years there. 

[Kuiper]

For all of its faults, FloSoccer does repost on Instagram some highlights in the offseason that are pretty cool.  I saw this goal from Pomona-Pitzer's Aidan MacLennan against Occidental in real time and it is still a beaut.  Oxy had two cameras and the field-level camera was perfectly positioned to get the behind-the-shooter angle on this one.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DT--OA7DtUO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

[Kuiper]

Big news out of Redlands!  I think some people assumed the job would go to a Redlands alum or someone with more connection to the program.  It will be interesting to see how Ortega does with the cross-country move given that most of his experience has been in New England with only a short time in Virginia.  Nevertheless, I'm sure he'll settle in pretty quickly.  Redlands is a great job and he is in the middle of a very fertile territory for recruiting that has trod many times while at Amherst.

Redlands names Amherst assistant coach Alex Ortega as new Men's Soccer Head Coach

The University of Redlands is pleased to announce the hiring of Alex Ortega as the new Head Coach of its men's soccer program. Alex brings a proven track record of success at the collegiate level, exceptional leadership, and a passion for mentoring student-athletes as the Bulldogs prepare for the next chapter of their program.
 
"Redlands has a proud tradition of developing competitive, well-rounded student-athletes, and we are committed to building on that legacy," said University of Redlands President Krista Newkirk. "We are thrilled to welcome Coach Ortega into our community and look forward to seeing men's soccer continue to grow and succeed under his leadership."
 
Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics, Nikki Ayers added, "This was a highly competitive national search, and throughout the process, Alex consistently distinguished himself through his experience, leadership, and commitment to student-athlete success that make him well-suited to guide the program into the future."
 
Alex joins the Bulldogs from Amherst College, where he served as Assistant Men's Soccer Coach and helped lead the team to unprecedented successes, including back-to-back NESCAC Championships in 2022 and 2023, an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in 2022, a national runner-up finish in 2023, and the 2024 National Championship. He has also coached at Randolph-Macon College in Virginia, Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, and Colby-Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire, earning a reputation for fostering excellence, teamwork, and student-athlete growth.
 
"I'd like to thank Vice President Ayers and the entire search committee for their efforts throughout the hiring process," said Ortega. "It is an honor and a privilege to be selected to lead the next chapter of Redlands men's soccer and continue the longstanding success the program has seen under Coach Perez. I'm excited to begin working with this group and immerse myself in the Redlands community."
 
This announcement coincides with a moment of change for the men's soccer program, as the University celebrates the retirement of Coach Ralph Perez, who has led the team for 19 remarkable years and enjoyed an amazing career spanning more than 50 years in the sport. 

"It has been an honor to coach at Redlands and be part of the incredible Bulldog community. I am confident that I am leaving the program in very capable hands, and I look forward to watching Coach Ortega and the team prosper in the years ahead," said Coach Perez.

The Bulldogs enter this next chapter with strong momentum, coming off a 9-7-4 overall record and a 6-3-3 SCIAC record, earning co-champion status in the conference in the most recent season.

[Ron Boerger]

That may be an all-time record for most distant D3 soccer coaching move - 2880 miles according to Google Maps!  YMMV due to traffic ...

[Kuiper]

The ASC just announced that it has signed on with Flo Sports, making it a clean sweep of the conferences in Region X

AUSTIN, TX - (February 10, 2026) – FloSports and the American Southwest Conference (ASC) today announced an exclusive media rights partnership that will bring comprehensive coverage of ASC athletics to the FloCollege platform, beginning with the 2026–27 athletic year. Through this agreement, FloSports will serve as the global streaming home for live and on-demand ASC competitions and its six member institutions: East Texas Baptist University, Hardin-Simmons University, Howard Payne University, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, and McMurry University and Schreiner University (joining in the 2026-27 season).
 
The ASC is the tenth NCAA Division III conference to join FloCollege and the 19th conference to join the platform. As part of its ongoing investment in Division III coverage, FloSports will support the ASC with access to its FloSports Production Suite, a production package that elevates stream quality, broadcast graphics, and viewer experiences. Use of FloSports Production Suite has resulted in 100% delivery of 60 FPS video feeds and dramatic increases in stream uptime and graphic capabilities for partners. FloSports plans to roll it out to all new partners joining the platform with a target of reaching 100 schools using the service during the next academic school year.
 
"ASC student-athletes and institutions deserve a platform that showcases their achievements with best-in-class presentation and storytelling that is on par with their Division-I counterparts," said John Turner, GM of FloCollege. "Our commitment to fulfill this promise to partners is what drives us, and we welcome ASC to FloCollege as we continue to invest in the growth of Division III athletics."
 
***

"Partnering with FloCollege marks a transformative step forward for the ASC and our student-athletes," said ASC Commissioner Leslie Schuemann. "This collaboration ensures that our competitions and achievements will be showcased to wider audiences with exceptional quality and storytelling, elevating the profile of ASC and Division III sports while inspiring future generations. By reaching more fans nationwide and highlighting the high level of competition within the ASC, we are reinforcing our commitment to being competitive at the national level and providing our student-athletes with the recognition they deserve."
 
***
 
Under the agreement, FloCollege will stream the full ASC competitive calendar, including regular-season contests, conference championships, and featured events across men's and women's sports. FloCollege is available via web, mobile apps (iOS and Android), and smart TV platforms including Roku, Samsung, Fire TV, Google TV, Apple TV, LG, and VIZIO.

[Kuiper]

Big news for the WIAC!

Men's Soccer Set to return to University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Manohar Singh and Assistant Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Darryl Sims announced on Monday (Feb. 16) that men's soccer will return to campus as an intercollegiate sport in the fall of 2027, the university's 22nd varsity sport.
 
A national search for a head coach will begin immediately to allow recruiting of the 2026 and 2027 classes and to give the coach the ability to create a competitive schedule.
 
One of the most successful programs in NCAA history, Oshkosh joins six other WIAC schools, 11 Universities of Wisconsin System schools and 406 NCAA Division III men's soccer programs across the nation.

Given the success of other branch campuses in Wisconsin like Whitewater and Plattesville, as well as relatively new programs like Stevens Point and Eau Claire, I expect Oshkosh to be strong very quickly with it's history and strong alumni support.  Part of the reason Oshkosh dropped its program was because the WIAC lacked enough schools to get an automatic qualifier.  The Wisconsin soccer landscape has certainly changed since then with the additions of Eau Claire, Stout, Stevens Point, and River Falls.  I wonder if Superior will consider moving back to the WIAC.  It might be one of the more competitive conferences in the country these days.  Not sure Oshkosh can rise to its former heights, but it's definitely a storied program in DIII Men's soccer.

Between 1984 and 2015, the Titans posted a 423-122-55 overall record (.705), winning the 2010 and 2014 WIAC regular season championship titles, advancing to 14 NCAA Championships and reaching at least the second round eight times, including a quarterfinal round appearance in 1993 and trips to the semifinal round in 1994, 2000, 2003 and 2010. UW-Oshkosh posted just one losing season in 32 campaigns: going 6-7 in 1984, the team's inaugural season. The Titans remain the only program in WIAC history to reach a national semifinal match and one of just 20 programs nationwide to advance to the round four times. Across their 14 appearances, the Titans went 19-12-3 (.603) in the national tournament and are one of 14 programs to post a winning percentage of at least .600 in more than 13 appearances.

UW-Oshkosh still ranks sixth in Division III history with 31 consecutive winning seasons (1985-2015), ninth with 21 consecutive wins (Aug. 29, 2003-Nov. 22, 2003), 11th with 18 shutouts in a season (2010), 11th with 23 consecutive home wins (Sept. 24, 1992-Nov. 12, 1994) and 18th with 28 consecutive matches without a loss (Sept. 3, 1994-Sept. 23, 1994).

[Gregory Sager]

wonder if Superior will consider moving back to the WIAC.

Not gonna happen. Even though it's institutionally a sister school to the eight WIAC members, it's much smaller (it's half the size of the smallest WIAC school, UW-River Falls, and about a third to a fifth of the size of the other seven members) and it's more remote from major population centers, making it a tougher recruiting sell. It also doesn't sponsor football, which makes it a significant outlier, as all eight WIAC members have football programs and that sport is a very big deal for them.