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.

Stanford's Kennedy Wesley and Florida State's Jordynn Dudley battle for the ball in the 2023 NCAA Championship match.
2023 College Cup runners-up Stanford are now ACC contenders with 2023 champs Florida State. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

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.

UNC soccer head coach Anson Dorrance stands on the 2022 NCAA championship match sideline.
UNC head coach Anson Dorrance retired on Sunday after 45 seasons with the Tar Heels. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

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.

Ashley Owusu is ready to play basketball again.

After starting her college career at Maryland, where she became one of the best guards in the country, she transferred to Virginia Tech ahead of the 2022-23 season. While her tenure with the Hokies started strong, a broken pinkie derailed it. After the injury, her minutes decreased, and she did not play at all in the postseason.

The tension came to a head during the Hokies’ Final Four run. During the national semifinal, Owusu left the bench, which resulted in infighting with her teammates. Following the season, she entered the transfer portal once again, and now she finds herself starting again at Penn State.

“Obviously getting hurt was unfortunate,” Owusu told The Daily Collegian, “but kind of looking forward to playing here, being able to be around new people.”

While Owusu was recruited by the Nittany Lions her first time in the portal, it didn’t work out. This time, assistant coach Terri Williams – whose brother Boo Williams coached Owusu in her youth career – managed to secure the commitment. Owusu credited the familiar face as a “very important” factor in her decision.

And Owusu’s Penn State teammates already are excited about what the three-time All-Big Ten selection brings to the squad. Makenna Marisa, who has “always been a fan of her game” and wanted to play with Owusu, said as much.

“She makes her teammates around her better, and she’s an unselfish player,” Marisa said. “She’s a hooper.”

And while Owusu is ready to fit into whatever role is needed, Penn State is ready to help her thrive.

“Ashley’s going to have freedom to play, and she didn’t get that at Virginia Tech,” Williams said. “She’s going to have freedom to flourish and be the player and the playmaker that she is, here, at Penn State.”