#22 Indiana Faces Off Against Notre Dame and Evansville as 2026 Season Begins

The 22nd ranked Indiana University Men’s Soccer Program opens up the 2026 season with high expectations yet again. For the most successful men’s soccer program in college sports, this is no surprise. The Hoosiers begin the campaign with three straight home games – the first two of which we will be previewing here. They welcome Notre Dame in the opening game of the regular season and then host Evansville for game #2. If you missed our season preview article where we go through the Hoosiers’ team makeup, check it out here.

Per iuhoosiers.com, 2025’s home opener attracted 6,395 attendees, making it the third-largest crowd in program history. No doubt, Indiana is hoping to attract a similar number of fans this year as new freshmen, existing students, and passionate alumni look to back the cream and crimson in full force.

#22 Indiana vs. Notre Dame: Thursday, August 20th @ 8:00 PM ET on B1G+

The first game of which, against Notre Dame, will certainly be one to watch. Historically, Indiana owns a 34-10-6 record all time against the Fighting Irish, but their last 10 matchups have been extremely tight. Over those last 10 matches, the Hoosiers boast a record of 6-0-4, but each game was decided by one goal, penalty kicks, or ended in a draw. I full anticipate 2026’s edition to follow suit, as Notre Dame is always solid – at the very least. They finished middle of the pack in the ACC last year and made it to the second round of the 2025 NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament. They will certainly be looking to build on that performance and set their eyes set on higher goals.

Despite the nerves that these IU/Notre Dame matchups often bring, I believe the Hoosiers will still come out on top. Give me 2-1 Hoosiers on opening day.

#22 Indiana vs. Evansville: Sunday, August 23rd @ 8:00 PM ET on B1G+

The second game this week features the Purple Aces of Evansville. They finished the 2025 season with a share of the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title, but lost in the championship game and was denied an automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament. Nonetheless, they had a very successful season and will be looking to build on their success in 2026. Currently, they are projected to finish 3rd in the Missouri Valley Conference and will present a tough early season matchup for the Hoosiers.

Nonetheless, I believe Indiana has far too much talent on this squad to not beat Evansville. Full respect to Evansville – they are a good program who can easily make the NCAA Tournament this season, but the talent on this Indiana squad may prove to simply be too much. Give me 2-0 Hoosiers.

Thanks to iuhoosiers.com for historical information on matchups, team performances, and statistics.

Thanks for reading! Stay locked in with Hoosier Huddle for all things Indiana soccer – and Indiana sports in general – all season long. Go Hoosiers!