DENVER – The 2026 fall season is in full swing for Metropolitan State University of Denver Athletics, with four Roadrunner programs set to compete this weekend across Colorado and Washington.
The MSU Denver women's soccer team will hit the road for a pair of matches in Washington, while women's volleyball returns to the Auraria Campus for the first time this season to host the Colorado Premier Challenge. Men's soccer will make its home debut against a pair of challenging opponents, and both cross country programs will open their seasons Saturday in Colorado Springs.
Women's Volleyball
The No. 7-ranked Roadrunners return home following a strong showing at the Bulldog Invitational in Big Rapids, Mich., where they went 3-1 with three sweeps and a tough loss to No. 5 Ferris State.
Now, first-year head coach Stacie Meisner and the Roadrunners will welcome 11 other teams to the Auraria Event Center for the Colorado Premier Challenge, giving MSU Denver its first opportunity to compete in front of its home crowd this season.
MSU Denver opens tournament play Friday against Bentley at 2 p.m. before taking on No. 14 Angelo State at 6 p.m. The Roadrunners will then play twice Saturday, with opponents and match times to be determined.
The Colorado Premier Challenge features a plethora of nationally ranked teams, providing the Roadrunners with another early-season test as they look to build on their 3-1 start. You can find all Colorado Premier information HERE.
Schedule:
- Friday, Sept. 4 – vs. Bentley, 2 p.m.
- Friday, Sept. 4 – vs. No. 14 Angelo State, 6 p.m.
- Saturday, Sept. 5 – TBD
- Saturday, Sept. 5 – TBD
Men's Soccer
After opening the season with a pair of matches in Salt Lake City, the Roadrunners return to Denver for their home debut.
MSU Denver suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Western Oregon in its season opener before battling Northwest Nazarene to a 1-1 draw. Sophomore Markus Beck scored his first collegiate goal against the Nighthawks, giving the Roadrunners an early lead before NNU eventually equalized.
The Roadrunners now face another difficult test at home, taking on Lubbock Christian before welcoming defending national champion and No. 1-ranked Midwestern State to Denver.
The matchup with Midwestern State will give MSU Denver an early opportunity to test itself against the top-ranked team in the country.
Schedule:
- Friday, Sept. 4 – vs. Lubbock Christian
- Sunday, Sept. 6 – vs. No. 1 Midwestern State
Women's Soccer
Following the first two matches of the season, the Roadrunners will head west for a pair of matches in Washington.
MSU Denver opened the year with a 1-1 draw at Angelo State before falling 3-1 at home to Point Loma. Grace Johnson and Jaslyn Sanders each recorded their first collegiate goals in the opening weekend, with Sanders finding the back of the net against Point Loma and Johnson scoring against Angelo State.
The Roadrunners will look to get back in the win column during a two-match road swing, beginning Thursday evening against Central Washington before wrapping up the trip Saturday morning against Saint Martin's.
Schedule:
- Thursday, Sept. 3 – at Central Washington, 5:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Sept. 5 – at Saint Martin's, 10 a.m.
Cross Country
The men's and women's cross country teams will officially open their 2026 seasons Saturday at the UCCS Rust Buster in Colorado Springs.
Both Roadrunner squads will begin their pursuit of a strong season in one of the nation's toughest conferences, with the RMAC once again providing a challenging schedule throughout the fall.
The Rust Buster will serve as the first opportunity for MSU Denver to establish itself within the conference as the Roadrunners begin the road toward the RMAC Championships later this season.
Schedule:
• Saturday, Sept. 5 – UCCS Rust Buster, Colorado Springs
