Brittany Hilliard, Sports & Gaming Editor 

The doors are open, the banners are unfurled, and the bleachers are calling. The 2026-2027 academic year is here and with it comes an exciting new season of sports at the University of North Carolina Greensboro! Every month, The Carolinian will bring you some of the latest happenings in the fast-paced world of Spartan athletics. Headlining this month’s edition of “UNCG Sports Roundup” is the men’s and women’s soccer teams, which have their seasons well underway. Their stories highlight the tremendous determination and talent of their squads as they blaze their paths through the Southern Conference. Read on to catch up on their campaigns so far as they craft another season fit for the record books:  

UNCG Men’s Soccer  

The road through August and September has been a wild ride beginning with a season-opening victory at home against the VCU Rams with a 4-1 score on the field. Filipe Matos set the tone early with a goal through the net at the 23:54 mark. After halftime, Bautista Schmidt drove home a goal with 48:27 on the clock to widen the lead 2-0. Pablo Torre and Keaviano Francis then powerfully responded to VCU’s lone goal by Jonas Hassel Pettersen by hammering through a pair of goals to close out the second half.  

The Spartans’ win against the Rams then set the stage for a series of hard-fought contests that resulted in ties at home against San Francisco (0-0) and West Virginia (1-1) and at Davidson (2-2). The next stops on their journey point north and south as matches at the Dayton Flyers (September 5 @ 7:00 p.m. EST) and 13^th ranked South Carolina Gamecocks (September 11 @ 7:00 p.m. EST) await.  

UNCG Women’s Soccer 

On the women’s side, the Spartans took the show on the road to open the season as the women visited High Point to go head-to-head against the Panthers. During a vigorous offensive push by the Spartans in the first half, the only score of the game from either team came when the clock struck 34:37 when UNCG’s midfielder Bryanna Parkes skillfully fired into the net. Strong defense then helped the women secure a victory in the second half to make the final score 1-0. 

The next 3 games brought the women back to their home turf to compete against the East Carolina Pirates (2-2), Iowa Hawkeyes (L, 1-5), and Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (L, 0-1). The women then quickly followed those matches with dual victories against Radford (3-0) and at American University (2-1). Defender Avery Barr put the first point of the game on the board against the American Eagles at 35:03 after a challenging back-and-forth first half. In the second half, midfielder Rina Ogimoto helped the Spartans lock up the contest by successfully launching a shot at the 84:07 mark.  

The Spartans next two outings keep them on the road against James Madison (September 6 @ 1:00 p.m.) and Campbell (September 10 @ 7:00 p.m.). 

UNCG Men’s and Women’s Basketball are Back 

Is that the sweet sound of basketballs hitting the hardwood? Yes, it is! Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are back and have released their schedules for the year. The women will begin their campaign on November 2 against Presbyterian whereas the men will start theirs on November 3 versus Milligan. Both teams will play those matches at home in the Bodford Arena, so make sure to mark your calendars for them.     

Full Women’s Basketball Schedule 

Full Men’s Basketball Schedule 

The Gridiron Returns 

Like UNCG’s basketball teams, some professional sports leagues are gearing up for their grand returns as well. That means it’s time to get your bowls of snacks ready because the National Football League is coming to a screen near you! After a long summer of training camp, all 32 teams are revved up for another blockbuster season of incredible touchdowns and jaw-dropping plays. Catch the first action of the year on Wednesday, September 9 (8:20 p.m. EST on NBC) as the New England Patriots travel to the Seattle Seahawks to open the season. The two teams last played each other in Super Bowl LX. At that time, the Seahawks defeated the Patriots 29-13, so this rematch promises to be a fascinating game where anything could happen.     

Locally, the Carolina Panthers embark on their campaign at Bank of America Stadium. They will play the Chicago Bears there on Sunday, September 13 at 1:00 p.m. EST on FOX. Their match comes 2 years after their last contest in 2024 which saw the Bears come out on top with a score of 36-10.  

Headline image from Wikimedia Commons