FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU men's soccer team unveiled its 2016 schedule on Tuesday, presenting head coach Bob Butehorn and the Eagles with yet another challenging non-conference docket in preparation for what the Green and Blue hopes is a seventh-straight Atlantic Sun Conference Championship.
 
The 17-game schedule – highlighted by a home opener against Michigan on Aug. 29 – features 11 non-league matchups, eight home contests (all scheduled for 7 p.m. starts) and nine road competitions. Four opponents made 2015 NCAA Tournament appearances and four accumulated double-figure wins last season. Eight teams join FGCU in having finished in the top 100 of the RPI last year, three of which were inside the top 30.
 
Season and single-game tickets are now available for the 2016 campaign, with season tickets starting at just $35. More information, including special discounts and group rates, can be accessed by visiting FGCUTickets.com. To purchase tickets, or for additional inquiries, call the FGCU Ticket Office at 239-590-7145 Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
 
"We've put together another challenging schedule, in particularly at home with perennially-strong opponents," commented Butehorn. "Fans in Southwest Florida will have a great opportunity to see marquee teams take on our fast-paced attack. It's a good mix of first-time opponents, some bigger names and in-state rivals to help prepare us for the always-tough ASUN schedule."
 
Fans can easily download the complete schedule directly to their smartphone and corresponding calendar on any tablet or device for free by visiting the schedule online and then hitting subscribe on the top-right corner of the page. Fans viewing on a mobile device can easily subscribe by hitting Menu, Sports, All Schedules and selecting 2016 men's soccer. Additionally, a PDF document is also attached for fans to easily save and print the schedule in a user-friendly format.
 
The 2016 season will kick off in Evanston, Ill., under the lights on Friday, Aug. 26, when the Eagles face Northwestern for the first time in program history. The Big Ten member has made a total of nine appearances in the NCAA Tournament, most recently in 2014.
 
The Eagles continue their Big Ten series of opponents on Monday, Aug. 29 – their home opener against Michigan (RPI 44). The Maize and Blue, another first-time opponent, finished their 2015 run with an 8-6-4 overall record.  Michigan has participated in the NCAA Tournament five times, including two quarterfinal appearances and one College Cup trip.
 
The Green and Blue will then head to California during the first weekend in September. The Eagles will compete for the first time against Loyola Marymount (RPI 85) on Friday, Sept. 2, in Los Angeles. The Lions produced six all-conference winners in 2015. LMU has made six NCAA Tournament appearances, most recently in 2013.
 
Continuing their California road trip, FGCU will take on the Anteaters of UC Irvine on Sunday, Sept. 4. FGCU has not faced the Anteaters since 2011 and will be looking to even the series after falling, 2-1. UC Irvine had five all-Big West honors last year, and in its history has appeared in the NCAA Tournament four times, advancing three times to the third round.
 
The Eagles will fly home from the Golden State to play another California school in the University of San Francisco on Thursday, Sept. 8. Two years ago FGCU – then ranked #24 in the nation – traveled to San Francisco but were defeated, 1-0. A tradition-rich program, San Francisco has won five NCAA championships in its 31 NCAA Tournament appearances.
 
FGCU will then make the short trip to Orlando to take on UCF in a mid-week tilt on Wednesday, Sept. 14. The common foes have faced each other five times, and the series is knotted at 1-1-2 (last year was declared a no contest due to lightning). Last season, UCF's Hadji Barry dominated in national statistics, finishing in the top 50 in goals per game, points per game, assists, goals and points. UCF has made five NCAA Tournament trips, most recently in 2011 against FGCU.
 
UNC Wilmington (RPI 63) will take on the Eagles at the FGCU Soccer Complex on Saturday, Sept 17. Last season, the Eagles defeated the Seahawks in the final match of the regular season in Wilmington. The Eagles quickly wrap up a two-game homestand a few nights later when they face FAU on Tuesday, Sept. 20.
 
After a short series at home, the Eagles will travel to the Garden State. NJIT takes on the Eagles for the first time during their debut season in the ASUN for men's soccer on Saturday, Sept. 24, after transiting the program over from the Sun Belt Conference. The Green and Blue will then face reigning Big Ten Coach of the Year Dan Donigan and the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers on Tuesday, Sept. 27.
 
Rutgers (RPI 29) completed the 2015 season with a record of 12-7-3, made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and claimed several all-conference awards and NCAA rankings. The Scarlet Knights – who finished the year ranked #25 in the national polls – also were in the top 25 in scoring offense (1.95 goals per game) and total goals (42). The 2015 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Jason Wright ranked in the top 25 in the nation for goals per game (.62), points per game (1.48), total goals (13) and total points (31).
 
FGCU will then head across Alligator Alley to battle FIU (RPI 22) on Tuesday, Oct. 4, for the annual faceoff. FIU finished the 2015 season ranked #24 in the national polls with a record of 12-7-1 and made their eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament at the Division-I level. The Panthers were ranked 12th in the nation for scoring offense (2.05) and 15th in the country in total goals (41) last year.
 
After resuming the ASUN schedule on Saturday, Oct. 8, at Jacksonville, the Eagles return to campus for a four-game homestand, beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 11, against USF (RPI 18).  The Bulls went 11-6-3 last year and made their 19th NCAA Tournament appearance, having advanced to the quarterfinals twice and third round three times. Their 2015 appearance was also their eighth in the last nine years. The Bulls finished last season ranked #18 in the national polls.
 
Continuing its home stretch, FGCU takes on Stetson on Friday, Oct. 14, UNF on Tuesday, Oct. 18, and then hosts Senior Night against USC Upstate on Saturday, Oct. 22. The final regular-season contest for the Eagles will be held at Lipscomb on Saturday, Oct. 29.
 
The ASUN Tournament will be contested on campus at higher seeds, beginning with the opening round on Nov. 4 and continuing with the semifinals on Nov. 6. The final is set for Nov. 12 at the highest remaining seed.
 
In just five seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, FGCU has won three ASUN Tournament championships, leading to three NCAA Tournament appearances. The Eagles have a dominant 48-17-6 mark in the ASUN since the program began in 2007, and last season sent three players to the professional ranks: Rodrigo Saravia (Columbus Crew SC), Aaron Guillen (FC Dallas) and Nathan Ingham (FC Edmonton).

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