The Wiley University men’s soccer team has secured a spot in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Men’s Soccer National Championship after winning the 2025 Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) Soccer Championship. The Wildcats will compete in the Lebanon Bracket, facing Carroll College on March 7, 2025, at Cumberland University’s Lindsey Donnell Stadium at Kirk Field in Lebanon, Tennessee.
This marks Wiley’s second appearance in the NAIA National Championship, with their first coming in 2015 when they triumphed in the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament. The Wildcats finished the HBCUAC season with an impressive record of 9 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses, remaining unbeaten in conference play with a goal differential of 10-2.
The journey to the championship has not been without challenges. In the semifinal match against Paul Quinn College, Wiley was behind for much of the game. However, the team rallied in the final 20 minutes, scoring twice to secure a 2-1 victory. In the championship match against Huston-Tillotson, the Wildcats found their momentum, scoring three goals after a tied first half.
As they prepare for their match against Carroll College, Wiley is looking to make history by securing its first NAIA postseason victory. The team enters the competition on an eight-match unbeaten streak, with a record of 7 wins, 0 losses, and 1 draw in their last eight games. Notably, their two previous losses this season were against teams that qualified for the NAIA National Championship, including William Carey University.
Carroll College, boasting a record of 13 wins, 3 losses, and 3 draws, earned an at-large bid from the Cascade Collegiate Conference. The team finished second in their regular season and reached the championship match, earning 20 points in the final Men’s Soccer Top 25 poll.
The highly anticipated match on Thursday is scheduled for a noon kickoff. The winner will advance to face No. 8 Cumberland University on Saturday, with the match time to be announced. The victor of that contest will progress to the Round of 16 at the Orange Beach Sportsplex in Orange Beach, Alabama, furthering the stakes for Wiley as they aim to etch their name in NAIA history.
