- Head coach Bobby Shuttleworth’s inaugural campaign in Aggieland starts Wednesday in Houston.
- The 6 p.m. contest streams on ESPN+ as the Maroon & White begin their 34th season overall and 15th in the SEC.
- Texas A&M is 24-7-2 in season openers and the Aggies are 7-1-0 all-time against Rice.
HOUSTON – The Texas A&M soccer team lifts the lid on the 2026 campaign Wednesday when the Aggies travel to Space City for a 6 p.m. match against the Rice Owls at Holloway Field.
The season opener is slated for streaming on ESPN+ with Matt Pedersen and Eddie Robinson on the call.
The match marks the Aggie coaching debut for Bobby Shuttleworth. The two-time national championship winning assistant was hired as the second head coach in program history in December 2025.
The Maroon & White embark on their 34th season, including their 15th year in the SEC. Texas A&M enters 2026 boasting a winning record in 30 of their 33 seasons.
Two Aggies have received national recognition in the last week. Bella Carapazza was named to the IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches Preseason MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List and Ireland Churchill earned a spot on the Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Freshman Best XI.
Trinity Buchanan and Leah Diaz are the leading scorers among returning Aggies. Buchanan logged 12 points on five goals and two assists. Diaz added 10 points on three goals and four assists. Carapazza arrived in Aggieland with 46 career points on 14 goals and 18 assists in her three years at Lipscomb.
Since 1993, Texas A&M is 24-7-2 all-time in the first match of the year. The Aggies are 17-5-2 in their last 24 openers with three of the losses coming to the preseason No. 1 team, including North Carolina (0-3) in 2010, Florida State (0-1) in 2016 and Florida State (0-1) in 2021. The other losses were against then-No. 7 Duke (L, 0-2) in 2013 and then-No. 6 Florida State (1-2) in 2024.
Texas A&M won a 7-1-0 edge in the all-time series against the Owls. The first meeting came in 2002 and the Maroon & White won the first five matches by a combined tally of 20-5. In the most recent meeting, the Aggies prevailed 4-0 in Houston in 2023. Texas A&M got a goal from MaKhiya McDonald in the third minute, and Kate Colvin added a score 1:55 before halftime. Jazmine Wilkinson and Maile Hayes added second-half goals. Kenna Caldwell made three saves in the shutout.