University of Illinois
Georgia
Illini Soccer Hosts #19 Georgia to Start 2026 Season
August 11, 2026 | Soccer
PREVIEW
| WEEK 1: Illinois (0-0-0) vs. #19 Georgia (0-0-0) | |
|---|---|
| Match 1: Georgia | Thursday, Aug. 13 // 6 p.m. CT // Demirjian Park // Champaign, Ill. |
| Watch | B1G+ |
| Live Stats | StatBroadcast |
| Notes | Illinois // Georgia |
| Shop | Online Store |
CHAMPAIGN, ILL. — Illinois soccer returns to Demirjian Park to kick off the 2026 season against No. 19 Georgia on Thursday (Aug. 13) at 6 p.m. CT. The 2026 season will be the 30th season of Illinois soccer boasting an overall record 304-231-50 (.562). Katie Hultin is back for her second year at the helm after leading the team back to the NCAA Tournament in her first season last year.
SCOUTING GEORGIA
This will be the third meeting between the Bulldogs and the Fighting Illini. Illinois claimed the first victory with a 2-1 victory in Athens, Ga. on Sept. 5, 2003. That same date in 2024, Georgia evened the series with a 2-0 win on their home turf at Turner Soccer Complex.
The Bulldogs finished the 2025 season going 10-5-6 overall and 6-1-2 in Southeastern Conference (SEC) play. They won their first match in the SEC Tournament against Kentucky in a penalty kicks, 1-1 (5-4). They were then eliminated by the Vanderbilt Commodores 2-0 in the SEC Tournament semifinal round. Georgia received an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament and were awarded a No. 8 seed in the tournament bracket, but they fell short 2-0 to Ohio State in the first round.
ILLINOIS NOTES
- Illinois finished a historic 2025 season with a 13-6-2 overall record, including a 5-4-2 record in Big Ten Play. Katie Hultin led the team to its best start in program history at 8-0-1 in her first season at the helm.
- At Demirjian Park, the Illini went 5-1-1, 7-4-1 on the road and 1-1 in neutral sites.
- Illinois will start at home to begin the season, aiming for their eighth-straight season opening win, dating back to 2019.
- Illinois will face five opponents this season that begin the season ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll: No. 7 Michigan State, No. 9 UCLA, No. 17 Ohio State, No. 19 Georgia and No. 22 Wisconsin.
- The Illini return 16 letterwinners from the 2025 squad and welcome in 13 newcomers.
- Illinois begins the season ranked No. 9 in the Big Ten Preseason Poll, up from No. 15 to start last season.
JACKSON, LEE, YEE NAMED BIG TEN PLAYERS TO WATCH
Three Illinois soccer players, Cayla Jackson, Izzy Lee and Emma Yee were named 2026 Big Ten Soccer Players to Watch the conference announced on Monday (Aug. 3).
Jackson begins her junior season in 2026 after having a stellar sophomore campaign in Illinois. She was named to All-Big Ten Third-Team honors after leading the team in goals with seven last year, three of which were game winners, and a team-high 17 points. She fired a career-high 30 shots last season and led all forwards with a shot percentage of .233. The Clermont, Fla. native started in all 21 matches last season and has her sights set on new career high marks across the board this season.
Lee is slated to start her fifth season in 2026 after a record-breaking season in 2025. She set the new single season saves school record with 123 made last season and she's the program's career saves percentage leader overall (.830) and in Big Ten play as well (.810). In the Big Ten Tournament match against Ohio State on Oct. 30, she made 11 saves which is a new career high in a single match for her and posted her 10th shutout of the season. Her 10 shutouts are the fourth-most in school history for a single season. The Second-Team All-Big Ten keeper led the conference in saves per game (5.86) at the conclusion of the regular season and is ready to take another step this season.
Yee will start her junior season in 2026 for Illinois. She scored six goals and recorded one assist to score 13 points last season which was the second most on the team. The Richmond, British Columbia native recorded her first career brace against Valparaiso on Sept. 7 and netted two game winners on the season as well. First, against DePaul on Aug. 28 and the second came on Sept. 25 to upset No. 18 Penn State in a 4-3 thriller at Demirjian Park.
