Penn State women’s soccer was ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten’s preseason poll voted on by conference coaches. The poll broke a streak since 2003 where the Nittany Lions were ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten.

Preseason #️⃣2️⃣ in the nation’s premier soccer conference#WeAre | #PSWS pic.twitter.com/LczKpcIqG2

— Penn State Women’s Soccer (@PennStateWSOC) August 13, 2024

Penn State’s drop to No. 2 came as a consequence of the Big Ten’s expansion. New Big Ten member UCLA took the No. 1 slot. The Nittany Lions will have the chance to set the record straight come October 17 when the team travels to Los Angeles to take on the Bruins.

Coaches across the United States didn’t necessarily agree with those in the Big Ten. Penn State was ranked No. 4 in the United Soccer Coaches poll just a week ago, while UCLA was ranked No. 11. The only programs ahead of Penn State were Florida State, Stanford, and BYU. Both Penn State and Nebraska, ranked No. 6, were Big Ten programs placed ahead of the newcomers from California.

Penn State’s Olivia Borgen, Kaitlyn MacBean, and Mieke Schiemann were also named Big Ten Players to Watch by the conference on Tuesday.

The Nittany Lions’ season is set to kick off in two days, as the Nittany Lions take on Texas Tech on Thursday, August 15, at home. They’ll also play three teams at home, Virginia (August 22), West Chester (August 25), and West Virginia (August 29), once students begin arriving on campus.

Penn State finished last season with an NCAA Tournament quarterfinal appearance before the campaign ended with a 2-1 loss to Clemson. The Nittany Lions also missed out on a Big Ten trophy, as a loss to Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament eliminated the Nittany Lions in the semifinals, while a loss to Wisconsin on the final matchday of the regular season stripped them of a regular season trophy.

Folks can find the full Big Ten preseason poll and list of notable conference players here.