West Virginia to Celebrate 30 Years of Women’s Soccer in 2026
July 06, 2026 10:00 AM | Women's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's soccer team will celebrate the program's 30-year anniversary in 2026. Throughout the season, fans can relive the program's most memorable moments with acknowledgments of the team's rich history.
The Mountaineers will celebrate 30 years of varsity status, dating back to 1996. WVU coach Nikki Izzo-Brown accepted perhaps her greatest challenge on Aug. 3, 1995, when then-WVU Director of Athletics Ed Pastilong named her the first head coach of West Virginia's women's soccer program. The only coach in program history, Izzo-Brown has since built a one-time infant program into one of the nation's elite teams.
In 30 seasons, Izzo-Brown has coached 45 players who went on to play professionally, 26 different players to 61 total All-America honors, 18 different players to 31 total Academic and Scholar All-America accolades, 24 conference players of the year and 23 Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy candidates. She also coached the 2016 Hermann Trophy award winner, the 2016 espnW National Player of the Year, a pair of Olympic Gold and Bronze Medalists and FIFA Women's World Cup participants, as well as a FIFA Women's World Cup Best Young Player honoree.
Ten years removed from the team's best season in 2016, the campaign saw the Mountaineers make their first NCAA College Cup appearance and finish as the 2016 NCAA National Runner-Up. WVU has appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 24 of the last 26 seasons, including a 21-year streak from 2000-20.
To date, Izzo-Brown has led the Mountaineers to an impressive 416-146-80 overall record and a 181-55-36 conference mark that includes 10 regular-season titles and eight tournament championships. The Mountaineers won the conference regular-season title in each of their first five years as members of the Big 12 (2012-16), and a title sweep in 2016 was the third time the squad earned both championships.
Women's soccer won the school's first Big 12 championship in 2013 and was the only WVU program to win multiple Big East Tournament titles.
In celebration of the 30-year milestone, West Virginia fans can expect in-game elements throughout the 2026 season, including guest appearances and recognitions, recap videos and features, giveaways and so much more. The Mountaineers will welcome women's soccer alumni back to campus on Sept. 4-6 for their Alumni Weekend, celebrating the program's rich history with those who helped build its success.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The Mountaineers will celebrate 30 years of varsity status, dating back to 1996. WVU coach Nikki Izzo-Brown accepted perhaps her greatest challenge on Aug. 3, 1995, when then-WVU Director of Athletics Ed Pastilong named her the first head coach of West Virginia's women's soccer program. The only coach in program history, Izzo-Brown has since built a one-time infant program into one of the nation's elite teams.
In 30 seasons, Izzo-Brown has coached 45 players who went on to play professionally, 26 different players to 61 total All-America honors, 18 different players to 31 total Academic and Scholar All-America accolades, 24 conference players of the year and 23 Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy candidates. She also coached the 2016 Hermann Trophy award winner, the 2016 espnW National Player of the Year, a pair of Olympic Gold and Bronze Medalists and FIFA Women's World Cup participants, as well as a FIFA Women's World Cup Best Young Player honoree.
Ten years removed from the team's best season in 2016, the campaign saw the Mountaineers make their first NCAA College Cup appearance and finish as the 2016 NCAA National Runner-Up. WVU has appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 24 of the last 26 seasons, including a 21-year streak from 2000-20.
To date, Izzo-Brown has led the Mountaineers to an impressive 416-146-80 overall record and a 181-55-36 conference mark that includes 10 regular-season titles and eight tournament championships. The Mountaineers won the conference regular-season title in each of their first five years as members of the Big 12 (2012-16), and a title sweep in 2016 was the third time the squad earned both championships.
Women's soccer won the school's first Big 12 championship in 2013 and was the only WVU program to win multiple Big East Tournament titles.
In celebration of the 30-year milestone, West Virginia fans can expect in-game elements throughout the 2026 season, including guest appearances and recognitions, recap videos and features, giveaways and so much more. The Mountaineers will welcome women's soccer alumni back to campus on Sept. 4-6 for their Alumni Weekend, celebrating the program's rich history with those who helped build its success.
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUWomensSoccer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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