NCAA Division I college soccer kicks off on Thursday, and 2023 champs FSU are leading the preseason charge.

After this summer’s mass exodus from the Pac-12, three of the four remaining Power conferences — the ACC, Big Ten, and SEC — all added strong soccer programs to the mix. Each of those three conferences is now set to start the season with seven ranked teams, according to the United Soccer Coaches' Top-25 preseason poll.

ACC, Big Ten dominate college soccer rankings

Highlighted by No. 1 FSU and No. 2 Stanford, the newly restructured ACC is shaping up to be the conference to beat. With the country's top recruiting class plus 10 returning players, including sophomore striker Jordynn Dudley, FSU is back atop the preseason rankings for the fourth time in the last six seasons. 

Led by No. 4 Penn State, the Big Ten also boasts top contenders — especially after adding UCLA (No. 11) and USC (No. 23) to the fold.

With the addition of Texas at No. 17, the SEC has a solid foundation. However, with no schools ranked higher than No. 14 Georgia, they’ll need some standout non-conference wins to move up the weekly poll.

While the Big 12 has just two squads on the list, both cracked the Top 10, with 2023 College Cup semifinalist BYU coming in at No. 3 and Texas Tech tied for No. 8.

Anson Dorrance departs UNC

NCAA soccer's biggest roster shift comes via the UNC coaching staff, with head coach Anson Dorrance announcing his departure from the program just four days before the season's start. After 45 seasons and 21 national titles — the most by a head coach in any DI sport — the Tar Heels manager passed the reins to associate head coach Damon Nahas, who will serve in an interim capacity as the school conducts a hiring search.

Dorrance is just the latest in a series of UNC turnovers, which saw nine 2023 players transfer and 11 turn pro — including top NWSL draft picks Ally Sentnor and Savy King.

How to watch college soccer this season

Four ranked matchups headline Thursday’s DI season opener, with No. 8 Texas Tech vs. No. 4 Penn State and No. 13 Michigan State vs. No. 15 Notre Dame leading the pack. Both games kick off at 7 PM ET with live coverage on BTN and ACCNX, respectively.

The 2024 NWSL season isn't fully in the books, but the Chicago Red Stars are already running full-tilt into 2025 with a brand new look.

On Wednesday, the club launched their major rebrand, revealing a new name — Chicago Stars FC — as well as a new crest and secondary logo.

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An NWSL crest inspired by the city

Last week,​ Red Stars CMO Kay Bradley told JWS that plans for the rebrand began after the club's 2023 sale to a group led by Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts.

"We gathered input and inspiration from our athletes. We gathered inspiration and input from current fans, our supporters clubs, as well as prospective fans," she said.

In an effort to raise brand awareness around the city, the club explained that dropping "Red" from the name shifts the focus to the word "Chicago." The soccer ball imagery and FC tag help new fans associate the team with the sport.

The curve at the top of the crest is modeled after classic Chicago marquees. The team took inspiration from the Chicago Theatre and Wrigley Field — home to this year's record-breaking Wrigley Field Takeover match. The adjoining shades of blue are a nod to Lake Michigan, with the press release saying they symbolize "meeting between the land and lake."

Limited-edition Chicago Stars FC merch now available

"As the stewards of this club, Laura Ricketts, the ownership group and the leadership team believe it is time to evolve our identity as a symbol of this new chapter," said Karen Leetzow, Chicago Stars FC president. "It is our intent going forward to honor the legacy made by past players, fans and associates, while carving a new path for the club and representing Chicago more authentically on and off the pitch."

As a part of the rollout, Chicago Stars FC is also dropping a limited-edition retail collection highlighting the new name and logo. The gear will be available via Chicago's online team store. In addition, fans can also purchase items at SeatGeek Stadium during the team's November 3rd match with Kansas City.

The original Red Stars name dates back to the club's 2008 founding, though the crest was refreshed in 2017. The team will continue using the Red Stars name and crest for the remainder of the 2024 season, with the full transition coming at the start of the 2025 season.

Welcome back to Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie!

In today's episode, our hosts recap the 2024 WNBA Finals, including the officiating controversy. Lisa also breaks down a similar situation from her playing days.

"You feel like it was stolen from you," Leslie explained. "It felt like the exact same thing, that they could be really physical with us. We go down and just touch and it was a foul. It felt like they were just taking this game from us, so I get it. I understand it. But what do you have to do? Suck it up, buttercup."

"One of the things I know is that the officials do they best job that they can do," she added. "It is a thankless job."

Then, Kelley and Lisa chat about Kelley's Gotham FC retirement celebration before diving into who can grab the final two NWSL playoff spots. Plus, Lisa learns all about soccer's nonstop schedule, and much more!

Coming off the success of JWS's Olympic commentary show The Gold Standard, Fast Friends features two legendary athletes serving up insider insights and unique takes on the biggest stories in women's sports every week.

Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.

After an unprecedented 23-match unbeaten run, Orlando's path to the NWSL Championship appears to hang in the balance after two straight losses.

While falling to once-struggling Portland could be blamed on resting starters, last weekend's​ 3-1 loss to Gotham can't be ignored. The reigning champs managed to find the holes in Orlando's armor, becoming the only team this season to net three goals against the 2024 Shield-winners.

"Did they lose too late to overcome the emotions that come with the Shield win?," Claire Watkins asked on The Late Sub this week. "How do you right the ship?"

Bay, Louisville chase NWSL history in playoff pursuit

Clutch weekend wins kept eighth-place Bay FC and ninth-place Racing Louisville in the running for the final two playoff spots,​ with both teams also eyeing NWSL history.

Along with seventh-place Portland, Bay controls their fate, needing a win or a draw to clinch. That said, if Bay wins their last regular-season match on November 2nd, they'll not only become the second expansion team to qualify for the playoffs in their debut season, they’ll also do so with 11 victories — the most by a first-year club in league history.

Louisville faces a tougher path from three points below the cutoff line, needing both a final win and some help from a Portland or Bay loss. Should they advance, however, it'll mark the 2021 expansion club's first-ever trip to the playoffs.

More than 125 women's soccer pros signed an open letter to FIFA earlier this week urging the international governing body to end its recently announced four-year sponsorship deal with state-owned Saudi oil and gas company Aramco, calling it "a middle finger to women's football."

Prominent signees include Dutch striker Vivianne Miedema, Canada captain Jessie Fleming, and USWNT legend Becky Sauerbrunn. The players' letter cites Saudi Arabia's concerning human rights record, particularly when it comes to women and the LGBTQ+ community. It also called out the impact of oil and gas production on climate change as reasons to cut ties.

For her part, Sauerbrunn specifically named individuals imprisoned by the government.

"We’re standing alongside women like Manahel al-Otaibi and Salma al-Shehab who the Saudi regime has imprisoned simply for peaceful expression of equal rights," she stated.

"The safety of those women, the rights of women, LGBTQ+ rights, and the health of the planet need to take a much bigger priority over FIFA making more money," she continued.

FIFA's deepening Saudi ties concern women's soccer athletes

The partnership with Aramco is simply the latest in Saudi Arabia's investment into FIFA and the sports world in general. The kingdom, which has often been criticized for its widespread sportswashing practices, is imminently expected to be named the men's 2034 World Cup host.

FIFA responded to the players' letter on Monday, calling itself "an inclusive organization." The governing body leaned into the fact that the revenue from its partnerships are reinvested in growing women's soccer.

That reinvestment isn't enough to justify the ethical concerns, according to Miedema. "This is what we don’t want to stand for and accept within women’s football," the Manchester City star added.

"It’s simple: This sponsorship is contradicting FIFA’s own commitments to human rights and the planet."