No. 4 Penn State women’s soccer opens 2024-25 season with primetime top-10 matchup

Tonight brings a return to Nittany Lions sports in what is expected to be a highly contested primetime matchup on the pitch. No. 4 Penn State women’s soccer welcomes the No. 8 Texas Tech Red Raiders for a top-10 clash at Jeffrey Field on Thursday, starting at 7:00 p.m. ET. The game marks the first official sporting event of the 2024-25 season for Penn State athletics. A potential preview for the NCAA Tournament later this fall, the contest will be nationally televised on the Big Ten Network and the FOX Sports app.

History of success

Since its inception in 1994, Penn State women’s soccer has been one of the most successful programs on campus. The Nittany Lions have made 29 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, winning 20 regular-season Big Ten Championships and nine Big Ten Tournament Championships in the process.

Penn State has consistently sent players into the NWSL, including a record-breaking draft in 2024, in which five Nittany Lions were selected.

The success at the professional level isn’t more evident than with former goalie Alyssa Naher and midfielder Sam Coffey, who just helped the U.S. Women’s National Team to a Gold Medal in the Paris Olympics.

Penn State is a National Championship contender in 2024

Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State enters the year ranked No. 4 in the preseason coaches poll after finishing with a 16-3-4 record in 2023 and an Elite Eight appearance. The Nittany Lions will be looking to reach the Sweet 16 this season for the eighth consecutive year.

Penn State returns 21 letter-winners from last year’s roster, a trio of transfers, and nine incoming freshmen. The incoming recruiting class is ranked No. 5 nationally and second in the conference behind powerhouse and new Big Ten foe UCLA.

Penn State has a legitimate shot to make a return to the College Cup in 2024 for the first time since winning it in 2015 over Duke. A strong schedule that features seven preseason top-25 teams, including five on the road, could help the Nittany Lions with seeding at the end of the season.

A New Big Ten

Current head coach Erica Dambach has been one of the most dominant coaches in the sport since she took over in 2007. In that time frame, the Penn State women’s soccer team holds a 241-81-24 overall record and a 129-31-12 Big Ten record. In addition to Dambach’s coaching, the dominance has been partly due to a weaker conference over the years.

The days of Penn State women’s soccer dominating the conference with ease appear to be over. The Big Ten was already growing stronger each season, and this year features seven teams inside the top 25. In the past, we have seen the Nittany Lions have to consistently compete with perhaps one or two ranked conference foes at most. This year’s top 25 includes Penn State (4), Nebraska (6), UCLA (11), Michigan State (13), Wisconsin (19), USC (23), and Iowa (25).

Adding historic programs such as UCLA and USC will provide even more depth for the league. The Bruins and Trojans have won two National Championships each and are staples in the NCAA Tournament every season. In fact, UCLA is the only team ranked ahead of Penn State in the preseason Big Ten coaches poll, a title held in Happy Valley every year since 2003.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation! Please follow us on all of our social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube) and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our social media.