OSHKOSH, Wis.- UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Manohar Singh and Assistant Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Darryl Sims announced on Monday (Feb. 16) that men's soccer will return to campus as an intercollegiate sport in the fall of 2027, the university's 22nd varsity sport.
 
A national search for a head coach will begin immediately to allow recruiting of the 2026 and 2027 classes and to give the coach the ability to create a competitive schedule. Prospective student-athletes interested in playing men's soccer at UW-Oshkosh should fill out the Prospective Athlete Form.
 
One of the most successful programs in NCAA history, Oshkosh joins six other WIAC schools, 11 Universities of Wisconsin System schools and 406 NCAA Division III men's soccer programs across the nation.
 
"The return of men's soccer to UW-Oshkosh feels exactly right for this moment," Singh said. "Across the WIAC and throughout Wisconsin, the sport is experiencing energy and growth, and we are proud to join that momentum. Men's soccer will also provide an important lift to enrollment by attracting talented student-athletes who are seeking a comprehensive academic and competitive experience. Just as important, this decision has been shaped and strengthened by the passion of our alumni and supporters who believe deeply in what Titan soccer has meant—and will mean again—for our university. With that foundation in place, we fully expect the program to compete and to be met with strong support as Titan men's soccer once again takes the field in 2027."
 
UW-Oshkosh will join the WIAC for conference competition, bringing the league to seven programs. An automatic qualifier league, the winner of the WIAC Tournament is granted a berth into the Division III Championship while at-large bids can be earned through the final NCAA Power Index standings.
 
"As a former Division III soccer player, I could not be more excited to see men's soccer returning to our university," stated UW-Oshkosh Provost Ed Martini, who competed for Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (Calif.) while pursuing his undergraduate degree.
 
The Titans will play home games at J. J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium, which is also home to UW-Oshkosh women's soccer, football and women's flag football.
 
"Men's soccer is woven into the fabric of UW-Oshkosh Athletics history, and its return is more than just the relaunch of a sport," Sims said. "It is the revival of a proud championship tradition, a renewed promise to past and future student-athletes, and a moment of great excitement for our campus and community. Titan soccer has always stood for excellence, passion and purpose, and we are thrilled to once again compete and inspire the next generation of Titans."
 
UW-Oshkosh is confident that enthusiastic support from both the soccer community and UW-Oshkosh men's soccer alumni will have an immediate impact that helps the program move forward into future seasons.
 
"[The men's soccer alumni are] extremely excited to see our storied program return to UW-Oshkosh," said Peter Dillett, a UW-Oshkosh alumnus and men's soccer player from 1996-99. "We want to thank [former head coach] Toby Bares for all the hard work he put into us and into building our program and Chancellor Singh and Darryl Sims for their enthusiasm and vision to enable men's soccer's return. Finally, we want to thank Chris Gantner [UW-Oshkosh Director of Alumni Relations], Micki Dirks-Luebbe [UW-Oshkosh Foundation Executive Director] and Chadwick Shaw [UW-Oshkosh Facilities Planning Director] for all the behind-the-scenes work they have already done, and we look forward to working with them in the future to ensure stability and success for men's soccer."
 
Between 1984 and 2015, the Titans posted a 423-122-55 overall record (.705), winning the 2010 and 2014 WIAC regular season championship titles, advancing to 14 NCAA Championships and reaching at least the second round eight times, including a quarterfinal round appearance in 1993 and trips to the semifinal round in 1994, 2000, 2003 and 2010. UW-Oshkosh posted just one losing season in 32 campaigns: going 6-7 in 1984, the team's inaugural season. The Titans remain the only program in WIAC history to reach a national semifinal match and one of just 20 programs nationwide to advance to the round four times. Across their 14 appearances, the Titans went 19-12-3 (.603) in the national tournament and are one of 14 programs to post a winning percentage of at least .600 in more than 13 appearances.
 
Eleven of the program's 14 NCAA Championship appearances came under Toby Bares, who led men's soccer from its 1984 campaign to the 2009 season. He produced all six of the program's All-Americans, including 2000 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Player of the Year Scott Deopere. Bares' .755 winning percentage (344-99-38) still ranks ninth in Division III history. He reached 100 career wins in 151 matches, 200 wins in 281 matches and 300 wins in 414 matches.
 
"It's a terrific decision for the University to add men's soccer and it has my wholehearted support," Bares said. "UW-Oshkosh is such a wonderful place to be, and I can't wait to welcome a new generation of soccer players as they pursue nothing less than a nationally recognized-caliber program. I'm certain men's soccer alumni will be anxious to provide their support to the program as well. They had so many valuable experiences and have wonderful memories of representing UW-Oshkosh with pride and class, especially on the national stage."
 
Wytse Molenaar took the reins in 2010, coaching the program's remaining six seasons through 2015. Both conference championships were won under Molenaar – the WIAC did not offer men's soccer as a championship sport before the 2009 season and suspended the offering between 2015-23. Similarly successful to Bares, he won 73.5 percent of his games coached in Oshkosh, posting a 79-23-17 winning percentage.
 
UW-Oshkosh still ranks sixth in Division III history with 31 consecutive winning seasons (1985-2015), ninth with 21 consecutive wins (Aug. 29, 2003-Nov. 22, 2003), 11th with 18 shutouts in a season (2010), 11th with 23 consecutive home wins (Sept. 24, 1992-Nov. 12, 1994) and 18th with 28 consecutive matches without a loss (Sept. 3, 1994-Sept. 23, 1994).
 
Individually, Deopere sits 10th in Division III history with 82 goals, Matt Boehnen ranks 14th with 50 assists and 13th with 0.77 assists per game, and Mark Pawlyshyn ranks 10th with 52 assists and 18th with 0.72 assists per game.
 
Former student-athletes Deopere, Pawlyshyn, Roberto Gutierrez, Greg Henschel, Derek Kasten, Ian Martin and Mitchell Poppen have been inducted into the Titans' Hall of Fame along with Bares. Jack Borski will become the eighth former Titan to be inducted this fall as a member of the 2026 class.
 
The program was removed from UW-Oshkosh's sports module following the 2015 season after a 32-year run. Since then, the soccer landscape has drastically changed in the WIAC, in Wisconsin and across the nation.
 
Only three other full-time conference affiliates (UW-Platteville, UW-Whitewater and former member UW-Superior) sponsored men's soccer when the announcement was made following the 2014 season. The WIAC did not sponsor a men's soccer league at that time. UW-Oshkosh's program suspension was predicated on that lack of conference affiliation, no NCAA Championship automatic qualifier, and Title IX guidelines with respect to gender balance on the university's sports roster.
 
Since 2015, UW-Eau Claire started its men's soccer program in 2021, and UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Stout all followed in 2024. UW-Platteville and UW-Whitewater continue to sponsor their programs. UW-Superior departed the WIAC for the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference following the 2014-15 academic year. The WIAC restarted its NCAA automatic-qualifying tournament in 2024 with the addition of the four new programs.
 
In the Fox Valley alone, youth boys soccer has a strong presence with multiple organizations, including the Oshkosh Youth Soccer Club, Fond du Lac Soccer Association and the Fox Cities United Soccer Club, feeding directly into strong area high school conferences like the Fox Valley Association.
 
According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, 11,838 high schools sponsored boys soccer across the United States in the 2014-15 academic year with 432,569 student-athletes participating in the sport. In the NFHS' 2024-25 report, 12,969 schools sponsored the sport with 484,908 participants for a nationwide increase of more than 1,000 schools and 50,000 boys soccer players in a decade.