DEKALB, Ill. – Seven home games, including a visit by Notre Dame to DeKalb, highlight the 2025 Northern Illinois University men's soccer schedule, announced by head coach Ryan Swan on Tuesday (July 29). The Huskies will face three teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament a season ago as well as five in-state foes during the upcoming regular season. 

NIU will open with a pair of exhibition games as the Huskies host Indian Hills (Aug. 11) and visit Northwestern (Aug. 15) before starting the regular season with a pair of trips to Wisconsin. NIU will face Milwaukee in the regular season opener on Thursday, Aug. 21, as the Huskies and Panthers meet for the Lewang Cup. NIU will then visit Green Bay on Monday, Aug. 25. 

The Huskies welcome Western Illinois to DeKalb for the regular season home opener on Thursday, Aug. 28, before heading back on the road for two more contests as they visit defending Summit League Tournament champions and 2024 NCAA Sweet 16 participant Kansas City (Sept. 1), and IU Indianapolis (Sept. 9). 

On Saturday, Sept. 13, the Huskies host St. Thomas in the first of two home games in four days as NIU welcomes Eastern Illinois to DeKalb on Tuesday, Sept. 16. 

The month of September concludes with visits to Chicago State (Sept. 21) and the Missouri Valley Conference opener at Drake (Sept. 27). The league home opener will take place on Homecoming Saturday, Oct. 4, when NIU hosts Bradley.

Following a trip to 2024 NCAA Tournament participant Western Michigan on Oct. 10, NIU will be back home in DeKalb to host Belmont on Friday, Oct. 17, and Notre Dame on Tuesday, Oct. 21, as the Fighting Irish make their first regular season visit to DeKalb since 1994.  

Trips to UIC (Oct. 25) and defending conference tournament champion Evansville (Oct. 31) finish the month of October and NIU will wrap its regular season with a home game against Bowling Green on Wednesday, Nov. 5.