The competitive landscape of college soccer in the Delaware Valley has changed dramatically with the University of Delaware Men’s and Women’s Soccer programs accepting invitations to join the Summit League and Conference USA, respectively.

Most University of Delaware sports programs, including Women’s Soccer, will join Conference USA beginning in July 2025.  University of Delaware President Dennis Assanis believes that joining Conference USA “will present opportunities to not only broaden [the] exposure of our athletics programs but also enhance awareness and visibility of [the University’s] excellent academic offerings, our ground-breaking research initiatives and our enduring impact on our community and the world.”

“The opportunity to join Conference USA is a very proud moment for our entire university,” Director of Athletics, Community, and Campus Recreation Chrissi Rawak said. “With this step forward, we will continue to offer an incredible student-athlete experience and elevate the visibility of all that is remarkable about UD. We couldn’t be more excited for the entire state of Delaware and how this will bring the 302 together.”

“Thanks to our recently opened Whitney Athletic Center and improvements to Delaware Stadium and other facilities, we are confident that we have the infrastructure in place at UD to compete with the very best in college football and simultaneously witness the growth of our other intercollegiate programs in the department,” Rawak said. “UD Athletics continues to ascend…”

The University of Delaware Women’s Soccer program will remain in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) through the 2024-2025 season where it will be eligible to compete for conference championships and NCAA postseason play.

Conference USA is an NCAA Division I conference championing success in college athletics through dedicated leadership, dynamic partnership, and diverse membership. Founded in 1995 and based in Dallas, CUSA is home to nine schools: FIU, Jacksonville State, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, New Mexico State, Sam Houston, UTEP, and WKU. Kennesaw State joins the league in 2024 and Delaware begins competition in 2025.

Meanwhile, the men’s program will join the Summit League since Conference USA does not have Men’s Soccer as a competitive sport.  The Blue Hens will be the sixth men’s soccer member in the league joining the University of Denver, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the University of Nebraska Omaha, Oral Roberts University, and the University of St. Thomas.

“This is a very exciting time for our men’s soccer program,” Chrissi Rawak said. “This move, coupled with our commitment to both academics and athletics, will allow the Blue Hens to continue to compete at a high level.”

The Blue & Gold men’s soccer program boasts five NCAA appearances, three conference tournament titles, and 23 All-Americans over its storied history. After just two years under head coach Tommy McMenemy, UD has jumped substantially in RPI from 166 to 81, including a pair of wins over ranked opponents.

“We are excited to be joining The Summit League,” McMenemy said. “The Summit League has gone from strength to strength as a soccer conference, and have been successful for several years in fielding teams who are competitive on the national stage. The conference’s pedigree was highlighted again this past season, sending two teams to the NCAA Tournament. National relevance and ambition as a conference was key in our search process, and we feel we’ve found the right home in the Summit League.”

Delaware will remain in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) through the 2024-25 school year and will be eligible for both a league title and NCAA postseason competition.