Unbelievable Upset: How Wiley’s Soccer Team Shocked Everyone Before Facing Tennessee!

The Wiley University Wildcats men’s soccer team is gearing up to make a significant mark as they head to Tennessee for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Men’s Soccer National Championship. Following their recent triumph at the 2025 Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) Soccer Championship, the Wildcats have been selected to compete in the Lebanon Bracket, facing off against Carroll College in the first and second rounds. This exciting matchup will take place at Cumberland University’s Lindsey Donnell Stadium at Kirk Field in Lebanon, Tennessee, with the first game scheduled for Thursday at noon.

The Wildcats, boasting a record of 9-3-2, are making their second appearance in the NAIA National Championship, the first being in 2015 when they claimed victory in the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament. Notably, they were the only men’s team to finish HBCUAC play unbeaten, outscoring their opponents by a remarkable 10-2 margin. However, the path to the championship was not without its challenges. In the semifinals, Wiley trailed for most of the match against Paul Quinn College but rallied to secure a 2-1 victory with two goals in the final 20 minutes. In the championship match against Huston-Tillotson, the Wildcats found their rhythm, scoring three goals after entering halftime tied at one.

As they move into this next phase, the Wildcats are not just aiming to participate but are also looking to make history by achieving their first NAIA postseason victory. They come into the matchup against Carroll on an impressive eight-match unbeaten streak, with a record of 7-0-1 during this period. It's worth noting that two of the teams they lost to earlier in the season—William Carey University and Louisiana State University—qualified for the NAIA National Championship, further illustrating the competitiveness of this year's Wildcats squad.

Carroll College, their upcoming opponent, enters the tournament with a solid record of 13-3-3 and secured an at-large bid from the Cascade Collegiate Conference. The team finished second in their regular season and made it to the championship match, garnering 20 points in the final Men’s Soccer Top 25 poll. This matchup promises to be a clash of determination and skill, as both teams aim for advancement in the tournament.

The stakes are high, as the winner of Thursday's match will face the host team, No. 8 Cumberland, on Saturday, with the match time to be announced. Advancing from that game would lead to a coveted spot in the Round of 16 at the Orange Beach Sportsplex in Orange Beach, Alabama. For the Wildcats, each game represents not just a chance to win but the opportunity to further establish their legacy in collegiate soccer.

As the tournament unfolds, all eyes will be on the Wiley Wildcats, as they seek to turn their hard-fought journey into a historic postseason victory, bringing pride to their university and their supporters back home.