Indiana Mens College Soccer Preview for August 27th
Indiana’s men’s college soccer schedule takes center stage Thursday night with an in-state NCAA Division I showdown in Bloomington, while NCAA Division II and NAIA programs also hit the road for important early-season tests.
The marquee matchup sends Butler to No. 14 Indiana, where the Hoosiers will try to complete a perfect three-match run against in-state opponents. UIndy and Purdue Northwest begin their NCAA Division II seasons on the road, while Bethel faces another difficult NAIA opponent at the Rio Classic.
Here’s a look at Thursday’s men’s college soccer action involving Indiana programs.
NCAA Division I
Butler at No. 14 Indiana — 8 p.m. ET
The biggest match in the state Thursday night comes from Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium as Indiana hosts Butler in an all-Indiana showdown.
Indiana has started the season 2-0, defeating Notre Dame 3-1 in the opener before shutting out Evansville 3-0 on Sunday. The Hoosiers have scored six goals through their first two matches while allowing only one.
One of the biggest stories of IU’s opening week has been Oliver Moller-Jensen. The Danish forward was named Top Drawer Soccer’s National Player of the Week after producing three goals and two assists over Indiana’s first two matches. Moller-Jensen recorded two goals and an assist against Notre Dame and has already been involved in five of IU’s six goals.
Indiana has also received goals in both regular-season matches from Sammy Bogard, giving the Hoosiers another dangerous option in the attack. IU recorded its first clean sheet of the season in Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Evansville.
Butler enters Bloomington at 0-1-1. The Bulldogs opened the season with a 2-0 loss to Northern Illinois before playing Bradley to a scoreless draw Sunday.
That makes Thursday an opportunity for Butler to earn its first victory of the season — but it comes against an Indiana team that has looked impressive through the opening week.
For IU, it is the third consecutive in-state matchup to begin the season. The Hoosiers have already taken care of Notre Dame and Evansville and can complete the sweep of their opening homestand with a win over the Bulldogs.
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Bill Armstrong Stadium, Bloomington
Streaming: B1G+
NCAA Division II
UIndy at Cedarville — 7 p.m. ET
The University of Indianapolis opens its 2026 regular season Thursday night with a challenging road match at Cedarville.
The Greyhounds prepared for the season with three scrimmages, including contests against Ohio State, Tiffin and Thomas More. Thursday marks the beginning of a 17-match regular-season schedule for UIndy.
Cedarville provides an immediate measuring stick. The Yellow Jackets reached the NCAA Tournament last season, and Thursday will be the first meeting between UIndy and Cedarville since 2017. The Greyhounds won that meeting 2-1.
UIndy won’t have much time to settle into the season. After Thursday’s opener, the Greyhounds return to Indianapolis Sunday to face Lake Erie before visiting Findlay next Wednesday.
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Cedarville, Ohio
Purdue Northwest at Lewis — 8:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. CT
Purdue Northwest also begins its regular season Thursday, traveling to Romeoville, Illinois, for a matchup with Lewis University.
The Pride begin the year with four consecutive nonconference matches before GLIAC play gets underway later in September.
Thursday begins a road-heavy stretch for PNW. After facing Lewis, the Pride return home Sunday against Northwood before road contests at Quincy and Walsh.
The matchup with Lewis also gives Purdue Northwest an immediate road test against a regional NCAA Division II opponent.
Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. CT
Location: Romeoville, Illinois
NCAA Division III
Indiana’s NCAA Division III programs are still waiting for the regular season to get underway, so there are no NCAA Division III regular-season matches involving Indiana schools on Thursday’s slate.
The Division III schedule begins ramping up next week.
Wabash opens Tuesday, September 1, at Franklin, while Rose-Hulman begins its regular season the same night at home against Greenville. Earlham also opens September 1 when it hosts IU East.
That means Thursday’s Indiana college soccer attention will remain primarily on Division I, Division II and NAIA competition.
NAIA
Bethel at Rio Grande — 7 p.m. ET
Bethel University travels to Ohio for the Rio Classic, beginning the event Thursday night against the University of Rio Grande.
The Pilots enter the matchup 0-1-1.
Bethel opened its season with a 2-0 loss to then-No. 6 Indiana Tech before earning a 1-1 draw against Governors State on Saturday.
Thursday presents another difficult early-season test.
Rio Grande has traditionally been one of the stronger programs on the NAIA men’s soccer landscape, and the matchup begins a challenging weekend for Bethel. After facing Rio Grande, the Pilots will remain in Ohio and meet the University of the Cumberlands on Saturday afternoon.
The two matches should give Bethel a good indication of where it stands before the Pilots move deeper into their nonconference schedule.
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Rio Grande, Ohio
Event: Rio Classic
Thursday’s Indiana Men’s College Soccer Schedule
| Division | Matchup | Time |
|---|---|---|
| NCAA Division I | Butler at No. 14 Indiana | 8 p.m. ET |
| NCAA Division II | UIndy at Cedarville | 7 p.m. ET |
| NCAA Division II | Purdue Northwest at Lewis | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| NAIA | Bethel at Rio Grande | 7 p.m. ET |
Match of the Night: Butler at Indiana
There is little question where the spotlight will be Thursday.
Indiana has looked like one of the strongest teams in the state through the opening week, scoring six goals while beating Notre Dame and Evansville. Butler, meanwhile, heads to Bloomington searching for its first victory.
For the Bulldogs, knocking off the No. 14 Hoosiers would immediately change the complexion of their season.
For Indiana, Thursday provides an opportunity to move to 3-0 while completing a sweep of three consecutive in-state opponents.
With Moller-Jensen already emerging as one of the country’s hottest players and the Hoosiers finding goals from multiple parts of the lineup, Butler’s defense faces its biggest challenge yet.
Kickoff from Bloomington is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, with the match available on B1G+.