We Speak Soccer

2026 ACC Men’s Soccer Championship Bracket Announced

Published

7 minutes ago

October 31, 2026

SMU men's soccer players in red kits celebrate together on the field at night (photo: SMU Athletics)

The bracket and seeds for the 2026 ACC Men’s Soccer Championship were announced Friday evening following the conclusion of regular-season play. The tournament includes all 15 of the league’s men’s soccer programs and kicks off Wednesday, November 4, with first-round matches at seven campus sites.

The nation’s lone remaining unbeaten team, SMU (12-0-3, 6-0-2 ACC) won the ACC regular-season title and earned the tournament’s No. 1 seed, both for the first time. SMU claimed the tournament’s lone bye and opens postseason play at home on Sunday, November 8, against Notre Dame or Virginia.

Four first-round matches are set to begin at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday:

No. 14 Boston College (6-6-3, 1-6-1) at No. 3 Wake Forest (11-4-2, 5-3-0)

No. 12 Stanford (8-4-3, 1-4-3) at No. 5 Louisville (12-2-3, 4-2-2)

No. 11 NC State (5-5-6, 1-3-4) at No. 6 Virginia Tech (8-5-3, 4-2-2)

No. 10 California (6-5-4, 2-4-2) at No. 7 North Carolina (8-2-5, 3-1-4)

A trio of matches are slated to start at 7 p.m. ET:

No. 15 Duke (7-9-1, 1-6-1) at No. 2 Clemson (12-2-2)

No. 13 Syracuse (7-7-2, 1-5-2) at No. 4 Pitt (9-4-3, 4-2-2)

No. 9 Virginia (7-6-2, 3-3-2) at No. 8 Notre Dame (6-5-3, 4-4-0)

Each of the first-round matches will stream on ACC Network Extra.

ACC Network will broadcast all four quarterfinal matches on Sunday, November 8, beginning at noon ET. The four quarterfinal game times will be determined Wednesday following the conclusion of the first round.

The semifinals will be played Thursday, November 12, at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, with the matches airing on ACC Network at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. ET. The championship match will be broadcast on ESPNU on Sunday, November 15, at 4 p.m. ET.

SMU is the tournament’s reigning champion after downing Virginia, 1-0, in the 2025 tournament final. It marked SMU’s first ACC team championship in any sport.

In the latest NCAA RPI release from Friday, eight ACC teams are among the top 30, the most of any league. Clemson was ranked No. 2 nationally in the RPI and was followed by SMU (3), Pitt (5), North Carolina (13), Louisville (15), Wake Forest (16), Stanford (18) and Notre Dame (30).

ACC programs have won 20 NCAA men’s soccer championships, including 11 since 2001 and three of the last five: Clemson (2021 and 2023) and Syracuse (2022).

Tickets are now available for the semifinal and championship games of the 2026 ACC Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships, which will be contested over the same weekend in Cary, North Carolina. Ticket books are $40 in advance for all six matches. Single-game tickets for the semifinal matches are $20 in advance and $25 on gameday and include access to all four semifinal matches. Championship game tickets are $25 in advance and $30 on gameday, with access to both matches. Tickets are only available online and no walk-up sales will be available.

Exclusive group pricing is also available for groups of 20 or more, along with unique on-field opportunities.

2026 ACC Men’s Soccer Championship (all times are Eastern)

First Round – Wednesday, Nov. 4 (all on ACCNX)

No. 12 Stanford at No. 5 Louisville, 6 p.m.

No. 14 Boston College at No. 3 Wake Forest, 6 p.m.

No. 11 NC State at No. 6 Virginia Tech, 6 p.m.

No. 10 California at No. 7 North Carolina, 6 p.m.

No. 15 Duke at No. 2 Clemson, 7 p.m.

No. 13 Syracuse at No. 4 Pitt, 7 p.m.

No. 9 Virginia at No. 8 Notre Dame, 7 p.m.

Quarterfinals – Sunday, Nov. 8 (all on ACCN)

Notre Dame/Virginia at No. 1 SMU, 12, 2, 4 or 6 p.m.

North Carolina/California vs. Clemson/Duke, 12, 2, 4 or 6 p.m.

Virginia Tech/NC State vs. Wake Forest/Boston College, 12, 2, 4 or 6 p.m.

Louisville/Stanford vs. Pitt/Syracuse, 12, 2, 4 or 6 p.m.

Semifinals – First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, N.C. – Thursday, Nov. 12

5:30 and 8:30 p.m. | ACC Network

Final – First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, N.C. – Sunday, Nov. 15

4 p.m. | ESPNU

We Speak Soccer

Marko Milanovic Named NSL Coach of the Year for Second Consecutive Season

Published

10 hours ago

October 30, 2026

We Speak Media

AFC Toronto head coach Marko Milanovic standing on the pitch with his arms crossed as his players train around him

AFC Toronto is proud to announce that Head Coach Marko Milanovic has been named Northern Super League (NSL) Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season, earning recognition from his fellow coaches across the league.

Milanovic was first named Coach of the Year following the NSL’s inaugural season, and his latest honour reflects his continued leadership of AFC Toronto as the club builds on its strong foundation in the league’s second campaign.

As the only remaining head coach from the NSL’s inaugural season, Milanovic has been a constant presence through a period of growth and change across the league. Under his leadership, AFC Toronto has continued to develop its young squad, establish its identity and compete among the league’s strongest sides.

Despite the individual recognition, Milanovic was quick to emphasize the collective effort behind the award.

“It’s definitely an honour to be Coach of the Year, especially because it comes from people inside the league and my colleagues, the people that you’re competing with on a yearly basis,” said Milanovic. “But like most individual awards, it’s really a team award because none of that is possible without your colleagues and with all your players.”

Milanovic’s coaching philosophy centres on continuous improvement, creating an environment where players can develop, learn from experience and enjoy the opportunity to compete at the highest level.

For AFC Toronto, his second consecutive Coach of the Year honour recognizes not only the results achieved on the pitch, but also the consistency, commitment and team-first approach that continue to shape the club.

AFC Toronto congratulates Marko on this well-deserved recognition.