CHICAGO (July 17, 2026) – The UIC men's soccer program will play host to nine matches at Flames Field this fall as part of a rugged 16-match regular-season schedule that was announced Friday by 17th-year head coach Sean Phillips. The Flames' 2026 non-conference slate is a particularly diverse one, with matchups on the docket against opponents from the ACC, Big Ten, American, Atlantic 10 and Summit League — all conferences (along with UIC's home in the Missouri Valley Conference) that have produced multiple NCAA Tournament qualifiers at least once in the past three seasons. 

Among the visitors to UIC this season will be three Chicagoland rivals - DePaul, Loyola and Northwestern - as well a second power conference opponent in Notre Dame, with UIC also slated to host two of its three exhibition matches in early August. In addition, the Flames will play a six-match MVC schedule, facing three opponents at home and the other three on the road.

"Our schedule is going to test us from the outset, as we open on the road at two out-of-region opponents who have national recognition in Tulsa and Oral Roberts," Phillips said. "Our non-conference schedule also includes several local rivals with whom we always have great, competitive matches. Put together, we look forward to the challenges of the non-conference schedule that will prepare us to compete for a championship in the Missouri Valley Conference, one of the top men's soccer conferences in the country."
 
UIC posted a 10-3-5 record last season and advanced to the semifinals of the MVC Tournament for the second time in three years, while tying a school record for the fewest losses in a single year. The Flames also appeared in the top 10 of the United Soccer Coaches West Region rankings nearly every week during the 2025 season and earned votes in the United Soccer Coaches National Top 25 poll for multiple weeks last year.
 
Some of the key matches on UIC's 2026 schedule are outlined below, while the full docket can be found here. Promotions and broadcast information for all UIC men's soccer matches will be released in the coming weeks and will also appear on the UICFlames.com schedule.

For more information on UIC men's soccer, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_MSOC and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_msoc and @uicflames).