GREENSBORO, N.C. –  The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's soccer team and Head Coach Chris Rich has announced its 2023 slate.
 
After the Spartans concluded the 2022 season with a historic run to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament, won the 2022 Southern Conference (SoCon) Regular Season title, and the 2022 SoCon Tournament title, the team looks to build off the success this fall.
 
Following the team's 10th NCAA Division I bid into the tournament and 19th in program history, the Spartans found themselves at No. 5 in the final United Soccer Coaches poll of the season. This was the highest ranking in program history with the previous ranking of No. 9 in 2004.
 
"After our success in recent years, our goal moving forward as a program is to achieve sustained success, both in conference and nationally," said Coach Rich. "In my opinion, one of the ways to do that is to put together the best schedule possible. 
 
"We believe we have done just that as this should be one of the best non-conference schedules in the country. Ten to 11 of these opponents are historically top-50 programs fighting to be in the NCAA Tournament every year. 
 
"This schedule will bring a new level of challenges that requires an elite level of energy and focus from our players and staff, but we are excited for the challenge and can't wait to get to work. 
 
"We finished the 2022 season hosting top programs like Ohio State and Indiana, and the UNCG community and the city of Greensboro came out in a big way. We are excited to host more top programs here at UNCG Soccer Stadium and hope our fans will pack the stands!"
 
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QUICK FACTS

• 17 regular season matches: 10 home & seven away.
• The Spartans will compete in three exhibition games (two away and one home). The team will take on James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va., on August 11 at 7:00 p.m. followed by a matchup at USC Upstate in Spartanburg, South Carolina on August 15 at 6:00 p.m. In addition, before UNCG's home regular season opener, the Blue & Gold will host Radford at 7:00 p.m. on August 18 at home.
• Non-Conference breakdown: PAC-12 (1), ACC (1), BIG 10 (2), Big South (1), American (1), A-10 (2), Sun Belt (2), CAA (2).
• The men's soccer team will compete against four power-five conference opponents this season in California Berkeley, Maryland, Louisville, Penn State and host three of them (California Berkeley, Louisville, and Penn State).
• The Spartans will compete in its home regular season opener at the UNCG Soccer Stadium on Thursday, August 24 at 7:00 p.m. by taking on California Berkeley.
• UNCG will begin its regular season road schedule at Maryland on August 27 with a 7:00 p.m. start. The Terps concluded the final United Soccer Coaches rankings at No. 17 and fell in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season.
• The Blue & Gold will begin September with their lone ACC opponent in Louisville on September 1 at the UNCG Soccer Stadium with a start time of 7:00 p.m. The two battled to a 1-1 draw last year in Louisville, Kentucky.
• UNCG will face its second opponent that appeared in the 2022 NCAA Tournament with Triad foe High Point University in High Point, North Carolina on September 16 at 7:00 p.m. The Panthers won the 2023 Big South Championship and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
• The Spartans will begin its SoCon schedule on September 30 by taking on Furman in Greenville, S.C. at 7:00 p.m.
• The team's first home conference game will be against Wofford on October 14 at 7:00 p.m.
• UNCG will jump out of its SoCon schedule on two occasions by facing UNC Wilmington on the road on October 10 and competing at home against Virginia Commonwealth on October 25.
• The 2023 SoCon Tournament will be held from November 3 to 11.