Photo by: Chloe Briote-Johnson
Weekly Mustang Roundup: Aug. 18-24
8/18/2026 3:00:00 PM | General, Men's Soccer
Cal Poly Athletics
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This Week in Mustang Athletics
- The Cal Poly men's soccer team finally kick off its 2026 season this Thursday at Denver (RV) on Thursday at 6 p.m. before heading to UC Davis where, for the first time since 2006, the Aggies and Mustangs will face off as non-conference foes at 7 p.m. on Sunday.
- The Cal Poly women’s soccer team continues its four-match homestand to open the season when they take on San Jose State at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mustang Memorial Field as part of the program’s Senior Day.
- Football is nearing the end of its fall camp as the program prepares for its nationally-televised season opener against Idaho at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 28, at Mustang Memorial Field.
- Volleyball is also wrapping up its training period before the reigning Big West and Los Angeles Regional Champions head to College Station for a trio of non-conference tourney matches from Aug. 28-30 against Grand Canyon, defending national champs Texas A&M, and Arkansas State.
#RIDEHIGH MOMENTS
WEEKLY SNEAK PEEK
- Cal Poly opens the 2026 regular season with visits to Denver on Thursday, Aug. 20 (6 p.m. PT) and UC Davis on Sunday, Aug. 23 (7 p.m.). Stream and live stats links are available HERE.
- The Mustangs are returning three all-conference selections, 14 letterwinners and 50 percent of its goal production from last fall.
- Making its Pac-12 Conference debut this season after capturing back-to-back Big West regular season titles, Cal Poly enjoyed three selections to the Pac-12 Preseason Impact List on Tuesday in junior forward Finn Linas and junior midfielders Colin Pearce and Rylan Firouznam.
- As a program, Cal Poly was selected for a fourth-place finish in the preseason coaches’ poll.
- Women’s soccer will honor its seniors when they take on Mountain West foe San Jose State at 1 p.m. Sunday at Spanos Stadium. The match is also part of the Week of Welcome festivities for Cal Poly students and tickets can be purchased HERE.
- Prior to the match, the Mustangs will recognize and honor their four graduating seniors — Bailey Bracha, Shelby Runje, Annika Smith and Siena Urzua — and their two fifth-year players, Sophia Minnite and Alyssa Szarlacki.
- Cal Poly opened its 2026 season this past week with a 1-0 victory over UNLV on Wednesday, Aug. 12. Junior Miah Thomas, a Cal State Bakersfield transfer, buried a penalty kick goal in the 85th minute of her Mustang debut to propel Cal Poly to its first season-opening win in 13 years.
- The Mustangs wrapped up their season-opening week of action with a hard-fought 1-0 defeat to No. 1-ranked Stanford this past Sunday in a rematch of last year’s NCAA Tournament First Round matchup.
- The Mustangs were ranked No. 2 in this week’s United Soccer Coaches West Region rankings.
- Annika Smith, the reigning Big West Offensive Player of the Year and an All-Big West Preseason Team selection, will carry a 33-match start streak into Sunday’s matchup with the Spartans.
- Following Sunday’s match, Cal Poly wraps up a four-match homestand to open the year when they host San Diego on Thursday, Aug. 27, at 4 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with men’s soccer.
- Cal Poly football is almost ready and set to open its 2026 season at home on Friday, Aug. 28 against Idaho. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be nationally broadcast on ESPN as the Mustangs play in front of the newly-opened John Madden Football Center for the first time.
- You can purchase tickets to Cal Poly’s season opener HERE.
- Gameday promotions include giveaways for 10,000 John Madden Football Center Collectible Stadium Cups courtesy of Culbert Plumbing as well as 4,000 Cal Poly shirts courtesy of Valencia Student Apartments.
- Senior linebacker Mikey D’Amato earned Preseason First Team All-American honors from both Stats Perform FCS and FCS Football Central. D’Amato was also named to the Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List and received a Big Sky Preseason All-Conference nod.
- Fellow linebacker Kenny Olson also garnered some praise, earning Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-American Third Team honors and a spot on the Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Team.
- Ranked No. 21 in the final 2025 AVCA poll and receiving votes coming into this preseason, Volleyball is wrapping up its training period before the reigning Big West and Los Angeles Regional Champions head to College Station for a trio of non-conference tourney matches from Aug. 28-30.
- The season begins Aug. 28 in a neutral-site matchup against GCU at 3:30 p.m. before a marquee showdown the following evening at 5 p.m. against tournament host and NCAA champs Texas A&M. Cal Poly closes the opening weekend Aug. 30 against reigning Sun Belt champion Arkansas State.
- Texas A&M enters 2026 as the defending national champion after finishing 29-4 overall and No. 1 in the final AVCA Coaches Poll. The Aggies stunned previously unbeaten Nebraska and national runner-up Kentucky en route to the program's first national championship.
- Only matches against Texas A&M will be streamed on SECN+. Schedule and match info can be found HERE.
Sunday, August 23
Thursday, August 13
Wednesday, August 05
Thursday, June 18
