Back in July, we posted a story about defining success at Rutgers that focused on football. We started this series by looking at cross country and field hockey. Today we continue the conversation with soccer and volleyball. As was noted in Part I,this isn’t necessarily “aspirational”: I’m sure we’d all aspire to national championships. But, realistically, where has each sport been and where is it now….and what would be a good “next step” forward? Today, we wrap up the fall season with soccer and volleyball.
Soccer
Men’s soccer
1990 NCAA men’s championship game. Four overtimes. Decided on penalty kicks. Wow!
Rutgers faced UCLA in the national championship game and it came down to penalty kicks, with the Bruins winning the title 4-3 in a shootout. It was the second of three final fours that the Knights made under Bob Reasso (also 1989 and 1994). Reasso was only the fourth head coach for Rutgers (plus one interim) since the program started in 1938. In 29 seasons, he had a .638 winning percentage.
Since Reasso left, the Knights have been somewhat of a secondary thought in national soccer circles. Despite men’s soccer becoming the first Rutgers program to win a Big Ten contest (a 3-2 overtime victory at Wisconsin on Sept. 12, 2014) and the team earning the first Big Ten Tournament victory by any squad at RU (again over the Badgers), Rutgers has not had sustained success: overall, Rutgers is just 25-55-6 in B1G play. Keeping with our theme, the last five years have been a bit mediocre.
- 2025: 1 Maryland, 2 Washington, 3 Michigan, RU 8 (11 team field)
- 2024: T-1 OSU/Indiana, 3 Maryland, RU 9 (11 team field)
- 2023: 1 Indiana, 2 PSU, 3 Northwestern, RU 7 (9 team field)
- 2022: 1 Maryland, 2 OSU, 3 Rutgers (9 team field)
- 2021: 1 PSU, 2 Maryland, 3 Indiana, RU 5 (9 team field)
There have been 18 NCAA tournament appearances for Rutgers, but 13 were under Reasso. Since his departure after the 2009 season, the Knights have been to just three, the last one in 2022.
What would define success for Men’s Soccer?
The conference’s coaches don’t see the Knights turning things around in 2026, picking Rutgers to finish 9th of 11 this season.
As for what would define success, just look at the overall Big Ten record since our entry into the conference as a starting point. Four years ago, the men did make it to the NCAA tourney; was that a harbinger or an aberration? Right now, it looks like the latter. But, Rutgers has history….and tradition….with men’s soccer. There’s some pretty good boys soccer in New Jersey, although in the current nen’s soccer environment, that may not be relevant. With only eleven Big Ten schools playing men’s soccer, moving into the upper tier of the conference isn’t a huge stretch. A winning record every year, a few B1G tourney wins, a regular appearance in the NCAAs. It isn’t that heavy a lift – we’ve done it before.
Men’s soccer opens the 2026 season tonight on the road against American followed by a contest at No. 5 Georgetown on Sunday night.
OTB 2026 Preview of Men’s Soccer
Women’s Soccer
Carli Lloyd!
The face of women’s soccer at Rutgers. Hey, pretty much the face of U.S. women’s soccer internationally, too.
Like the men, women’s soccer has a history of success, and even more recently. It was just five years ago that Rutgers won the Big Ten regular season title, and lost in the tournament title game to Michigan, 1-0. And even in the expanded Big Ten, Rutgers finished as high as sixth just two years ago. Last year? I’m guessing NIL didn’t help RU.
- 2025: 1 Washington, 2 Michigan State, 3 Iowa, RU 16 (18 team field)
- 2024: 1 USC, 2 UCLA, 3 Iowa, RU 6 (18 team field)
- 2023: 1 Michigan State, 2 Nebraska, 3 Wisconsin, RU 7 (14 team field)
- 2022: 1 Michigan State, 2 Northwestern, 3 Wisconsin, RU 7 (14 team field)
- 2021: 1 Rutgers, 2 Purdue, 3 Michigan, Rutgers lost championship game 1-0 to Michigan (14 team field)
The women have been to 18 NCAA tournaments, the same number as the men. They’ve appeared in two College Cups, in 2015 and 2021. But, last year turned RU on its head. The team’s trajectory took a severe nosedive after a moderately good last few seasons.
What would define success for Women’s Soccer?
For 2026, Rutgers was tabbed to finish 15th of 18 in the conference by its coaches. That’s not how to start the climb back. And an early season three-goal loss to No. 24 Tennessee isn’t an auspicious start. But history and, yes, the tradition is there. Since its inception in 1984, women’s soccer has had only three coaches, and every one has a winning record.
- Charlie Ducilli, 167-114-26 (.586)
- Glenn Crooks, 155-103-36 (.527)
- Mike O’Neill, 151-56-45 (.714)
O’Neill has been the coach since Rutgers entered the Big Ten in 2014. Until least season (4-7-5), he never had an overall losing record. It likely wouldn’t take a lot to turn things around; money is likely the issue, so making RU a winner in women’s soccer may be more an issue for Keli Zinn than O’Neill. But, for the sake of argument, let’s get back to being competitive in conference, finishing in the top half again, and making a run in the B1G tourney.
The women continue the season with a game tonight at UConn.
OTB 2026 Preview of Women’s Soccer
Volleyball
The Big Ten is arguably the best volleyball conference in the country. Arguably, with the SEC offering a few no votes. But, bottom line and without much argument, Rutgers’ results have been abysmal.
It isn’t easy to compete in this conference, and Rutgers came in with one hand tied behind its back. Much as other sports did….but worse. Volleyball has possibly the worst results of any team at Rutgers. There has been some improvement, but competing in volleyball in the Big Ten is brutal. Look at the last five years, the top three teams along with Rutgers’ finish:
- 2025: 1 Nebraska, 2 Wisconsin, 3 Purdue, RU 17 (18 team field)
- 2024: 1 Nebraska, 2 PSU, 3 Wisconsin, RU 18 (18 team field)
- 2023: 1 Nebraska, 2 Wisconsin, 3 PSU, RU 13 (14 team field)
- 2022: 1 Wisconsin, 2 Nebraska, 3 Minnesota, RU 14 (14 team field)
- 2021: 1 Wisconsin, 2 Nebraska, 3 OSU, RU 14 (14 team field)
Up to now, the conference champion was the regular season winner. In 2026, the B1G will hold it’s first tournament to crown a champion. That event will be Nov. 20-25 at Fishers Event Center in Fishers, Ind., home of Major League Volleyball’s Indy Ignite.
As for the NCAA volleyball champion, if you go back the last ten seasons, a Big Ten team won it three times, with B1G squads in the finals six times. That includes 2021 when two teams, Wisconsin and Nebraska, faced off for the title.
- 2024: Champion Penn State
- 2023: Runner-up Nebraska
- 2021: Champion Wisconsin, runner up Nebraska
- 2019: Runner up Wisconsin
- 2018: Runner up Nebraska
- 2017: Champion Nebraska
What would define success for Volleyball?
Finishing better than 17th would be a start, although the preseason coaches’ polldoesn’t see that happening. And, to be fair, the Big Ten is a gauntlet in volleyball. But, how about being more competitive in conference? Big Ten wins have been hard to come by; excluding the Covid year when there was a shortened spring season (six wins), the most Big Ten conference wins by Rutgers in a season is three. So winning more than three matches would be a start. Since joining the Big Ten, volleyball has five seasons with zero conference wins; that hasn’t happened since 2021, so there has been development, and the 2025 winning non-con record is a good sign. But there is no question that it is an up hill battle in the Big Ten.
Volleyball opens the season on August 28 at the Bellarmine Classic in Louisville.
OTB 2026 Preview of Volleyball
