MOSCOW, Idaho - Idaho Soccer has returned to the pitch for spring training, beginning the early prep for a 2026 season filled with added motivation.
Coming off of a 6-5-9 season and a semifinal appearance in the Big Sky tournament, the Vandals recorded Idaho's fifth-consecutive winning season and sixth under head coach Jeremy Clevenger since 2018, but for a program that has won no less than ten games in a season from 2021-24 as well as a conference championship in that span, title aspirations reside in the Palouse.
One of the first steps of that pursuit is the spring schedule, where UI has locked down five offseason contests in the month of April, taking on foes from all levels of college soccer. Two of these will take place in the comforts of the P1FCU Kibbie Dome and another will be just across the border.
vs. Spokane Community College - April 4 (Sat) - 1:30 PM - P1FCU Kibbie Dome
The reigning NWAC Champions, Spokane CC outscored opponents a combined 38-6 in 2025 en route to a 14-1-1 record and a conference championship victory over Highline. Under the leadership of head coach Dan Philp since 2022, the Sasquatches have appeared in three NWAC Championships in that span, finishing as runners-up in 2022 and 2023, the former earning Philp Coach of the Year honors.
at Seattle U - April 12 (Sun) - 1:00 PM - Seattle, WA
In the program's first season in the West Coast Conference, Seattle U went 6-3-2 in league play and 10-3-6 overall, a slate that included many familiar foes to Vandal fans. The Redhawks started 2025 with back to back contests against Big Sky Conference competition, taking down Eastern Washington and dueling eventual conference champ Montana to a 1-1 draw. Later in the month, they would knock off Idaho State 3-1 in Seattle.
at Gonzaga - April 18 (Sat) - 1:00 PM - Spokane, WA
The Vandals and Bulldogs will scrimmage for the second time in the last eight months as the two programs faced off in an early August exhibition. Since then, Gonzaga went 8-9-2 in 2025 and 6-3-2 in WCC play. They traveled to Montana in the non-conference slate, where they would fall 0-4, and tied Washington State, 1-1, in Spokane.
at Washington State - April 22 (Wed) - 7:00 PM - Pullman, WA
WSU will have a new head coach for the 2026 season, having notably hired Montana's Chris Citowicki after eight seasons in Missoula that featured nine total Big Sky regular season and tournament championships, four NCAA postseason berths, and a Coach of the Year nod. Having brought a considerable amount of his Montana roster with him, a familiar challenge awaits in Pullman
vs. Central Washington - April 25 (Sat) - 1:30 PM - P1FCU Kibbie Dome
Central Washington went 4-7-6 in 2025, but earned two tough draws against then #23 Western Oregon and RV Western Washington in GNAC play. The Wildcats compete in a conference that generally features some of the top teams in DII Soccer, as eight of CWU's opponents last season were at least receiving ranked votes, if not ranked, when the teams faced off.
With Montana and departing league member Sacramento State debuting new head coaches in 2026, Jeremy Clevenger enters his eighth season as the second-longest tenured coach in the Big Sky, including among incoming schools Utah Tech and Southern Utah. With a young roster in 2025 that listed just one senior, the 2026 spring schedule provides an opportunity for a growing team of Vandals to show the strides they've made this offseason.
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