Bulldogs Host UT Martin To Open Zimmerman Era

STARKVILLE – The 2025-26 athletic year will officially begin on Thursday night in Starkville as the No. 20/22 Mississippi State soccer team hosts UT Martin.

Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.

The match will mark the beginning of the Nick Zimmerman era after he was named the seventh head coach in program history in December. State's lineup features six players named to the SEC Preseason Watch List and two who were recognized in TopDrawerSoccer's national Preseason Best XI.

"I think we're all excited," Zimmerman said. "Obviously, to be in front of the best fans in the country but also just to go out and compete. It's another opportunity for us to grow and continue this journey together. I think we've had a good week of training, but it's a group that believes and that I'm really, really proud of because they've been really intentional with this preseason."

Kicking Off

Hail The Champs: State won the SEC Regular Season Championship for the first time in program history in 2024. The Bulldogs became the fifth school in SEC history to win every conference match in a season and were the only team in the nation to win every one of its regular-season conference matches.

Global Game: Three members of the current MSU roster have national team experience. At least one rostered player has either had previous national team experience or gone on to play for their national team in seven of the last nine seasons.

New Look: State returns just under 25 percent of its field player minutes from last fall and does not return a goalkeeper with a single career minute in Maroon and White. MSU lost 180 of 242 combined starts (74.4 percent) from last year. However, the Bulldogs return 51.1 percent of their goals in 2024, and their portal additions scored 17 times last year. With their addition, members of the 2025 roster totaled 40 goals in 2024. As a team, State scored 45 last year.

Day One: The Bulldogs are 18-9-3 all-time in season openers and 18-10-2 in home openers. UT Martin was the season opener in 2010 as well when MSU claimed a 2-1 victory in Martin, Tennessee.

About UT Martin (0-0-0, 0-0-0 OVC)

Rankings: United Soccer Coaches – NR | TopDrawerSoccer – NR
Head Coach: Mike Varga | Record at UTM: 9-19-9 (3rd Year) | Career Record: 263-257-66 (31st Year)

Series History

Notables

UT Martin's offense will look significantly different from last season, with the Skyhawks returning just three of the seven goal scorers from a year ago. That trio accounted for four of the team's 14 total goals. Unni Wolf scored twice, while Peyton Cook and Caroline Moore each scored once. Cook was named to the Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Players to Watch List. Meanwhile, Alli Buchmann, who missed most of last season due to injury, has returned and scored UT Martin's only goal in its exhibition against No. 6 Arkansas from nearly 30 yards out.

Next Up

State will play just one match in the opening week of the season. The Bulldogs remain at home next Thursday, Aug. 21 to host Jacksonville State, the former home of senior Nancy Almanza. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.

Follow the Bulldogs

For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on X, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSOC."

Bulldogs Host UT Martin To Open Zimmerman Era

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Nancy Almanza

Mississippi State University Athletics

Bulldogs Host UT Martin To Open Zimmerman Era

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Nancy Almanza

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