The Crew may be out of the playoffs, but don’t give up on something special happening on the pitch in Columbus this fall. The Ohio State women’s and men’s soccer teams are both championship contenders — and you can catch an NCAA Tournament game followed by a Big Ten title match against archrival Michigan this weekend.

NCAA Tournament: Ohio State Women’s Soccer

What: No. 3 Ohio State vs. James Madison
When: Friday, Nov. 15 at 6 p.m.
Where: Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium
How to buy tickets: You can buy tickets on Ticketmaster here.
How to Watch: ESPN+
 

Regular Season Recap

The Buckeyes secured an at-large bid after finishing the year 12-5-3, earning a national ranking as high as No. 7 during the regular season. The Dukes won the Sun Belt Conference championship to earn their way to the tournament.

  • Six Buckeyes earned All-Big Ten, with Kailyn Dudukovich and Amanda Schlueter being named First-Team all-conference. Dudukovich led the Big Ten and ranks fourth in the nation with 17 goals, while Schlueter followed up a solid freshman season with an impressive eight goals and 11 assists — fifth-best in the NCAA.
  • The Buckeyes finished 6-3-2 in a stacked Big Ten that has 10 teams in the NCAA Tournament.
  • Notable results: Wins over No. 1 seed Duke and No. 4 seed Penn State; Ties against No. 3 seed Iowa and No. 5 seed Michigan State.

Tournament 101

  • This is the fifth straight tournament appearance for coach Lori Walker-Hock’s club.
  • The Buckeyes last hosted a tournament game in 2022, beating Bucknell.
  • With one of its highest seeds in team history, Ohio State is hoping to win more than one game in the tournament for the first time since 2015.
  • If the Buckeyes get past James Madison, they’ll play the winner of No. 6 seed Auburn vs. Florida International. To host more games in Columbus next week, Ohio State would need No. 2 Wake Forest to lose its first round game.
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Big Ten Championship — Ohio State Men’s Soccer

What: No. 1 Ohio State vs. Michigan
When: Sunday, Nov. 17 at 3 p.m.
Where: Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium
How to buy tickets: Free admission!
How to Watch: Big Ten Network
 

Regular Season Recap

The top-ranked Buckeyes are the team to beat entering championship Sunday against the Wolverines. From 1-15-2 in his first season, coach Brian Maisonneuve has transformed Ohio State into a team with one loss all year and is the consensus No. 1 team in the country with a 13-1-3 record. The Buckeyes beat Michigan 6-3 earlier this year and are looking for the Big Ten season sweep after winning the conference outright.

  • Michael Adedokun was named Big Ten Midfielder of the Year and paces the Buckeye attack with eight goals and 11 assists, good for third in the NCAA.
  • Ohio State is the fifth-highest scoring team in the nation (2.65 goals per game) and is sturdy on defensively, allowing less than a goal per game.
  • Notable results: Wins over No. 13 Akron, No. 19 Washington and at Maryland. Tie vs. No. 6 Indiana.

When’s the NCAA Tournament?

  • Ohio State will learn its NCAA Tournament draw on Monday, Nov. 18 at 1 p.m. The tournament begins Thursday, Nov. 21, but Ohio State would begin play Sunday, Nov. 24 as a seeded team.
  • With a win, the Buckeyes likely clinch a No. 1 seed and would have homefield advantage until the national semifinals, known as the College Cup.
  • Ohio State last made the tournament in 2022 and lost in the second round.
  • This will be Ohio State’s 12th NCAA Tournament appearance. The Buckeyes have made College Cup once, in 2007.