After winning the last two Big West Conference regular-season titles, Cal Poly Men’s Soccer’s season outlook looks a little different as the team prepares to make its Pac-12 Conference debut this fall, marking a change after 25 years of competing in the Big West.Â
This change comes after several teams signed deals to leave the Big West for other conferences, with some taking effect this season and others waiting until the 2027 season to make the move.Â
Conference opponents that moved with Cal Poly to the Pac-12 for the 2026 season include UC San Diego and UC Riverside. Last season, Cal Poly beat both UC Riverside and UCSD in conference play and knocked UCSD out of the Big West Tournament.
The four new conference opponents that will meet the Mustangs this fall are Cal Baptist, Gonzaga, San Diego State, and Oregon State. Cal Poly faced SDSU and CBU during the 2025 season, beating the Aztecs 2-0 but falling short against the Lancers, 2-0.
Preseason still allows Cal Poly to battle against former Big West opponents UC Davis, Cal State Bakersfield, and the iconic Blue-Green rivalry matchup against UC Santa Barbara.
While the schedule may look different this year, Cal Poly Men’s Soccer has several familiar faces looking to make an impact in the new conference.
Senior defender Parker Owens is back for his final season with Cal Poly after suffering an injury during the Blue-Green rivalry match back on Oct. 18. Owens, a captain for the Mustangs, was named to the All-Big West first team and the United Soccer Coaches All-Far West Region second team after leading Cal Poly to a record 10 shutouts during the 2025 campaign.
After standout goalkeeper Nicky McCune graduated following the 2025 season, Owens’ leadership from the backline will be critical as Cal Poly looks to find a replacement for the former Big West Goalkeeper of the Year.
Three young Mustangs now have the opportunity to follow in McCune’s footsteps as they compete to become the new starting keeper. Currently, sophomore Dylan Glowaski is the only goalkeeper with collegiate experience, playing 12 minutes in one appearance during the 2025 season. Other options are sophomore Ben Oetman and redshirt freshman Mathew Guerra, who haven’t taken the field yet for Cal Poly, but have spent the last two seasons learning under McCune.
On the offensive front, junior forward Quinn Mahoney is back for his third season at Cal Poly. The All-Big West honoree and leading goalscorer for the Mustangs will lead the attack alongside senior Jake Civitts, who led the team with five assists during the 2025 season.
With 10 new faces joining the Mustangs for the upcoming season, there are a couple of standouts to watch for in particular.
Incoming transfer Devin Rosas is a junior defender who spent the past two seasons as an everyday starter for West Valley College. With accolades including two-time Coast Conference South Division Defender of the Year and 2025 United Soccer Coaches Division III All-American first team selectee, Rosas may be the perfect fit to join Owens on the backline as the Mustangs had several defenders graduate, including Nico Baltazar and Jake Oetinger.
Graduate transfer Brandon Newman could also make an impact in his first and final season as a Mustang. Coming from Columbia, Newman is a dynamic central midfielder who started 22 of his 44 appearances in his four seasons as a Lion.
Newman will join former All-Big West first-team honoree Diego Guerra, who is returning from a redshirt season, and senior Benji Jimenez, who started 19 of 20 games for the Mustangs in 2025. Junior Rylan Firouznam is also returning to the midfield after scoring one goal and one assist in the previous season.
Cal Poly will search for its new starting lineup and look to start the new season on a high note, opening play with an exhibition against the University of San Francisco on Aug. 9 at Spanos Stadium.