Five must-see home games to attend this fall semester

As Miami University welcomes new and returning students back to campus, the five fall sports of field hockey, football, hockey, soccer and volleyball kick-off their seasons. Whether it’s late-night football MACtion on a Tuesday or a weekend field hockey series, the RedHawks welcome support in search of winning the Mid-American Conference title in their respective sport.

As students mark their calendars ahead of the semester, here are five games they should keep their schedules open for to support their fellow RedHawks.

Soccer vs. LSU, Sept. 6

In one of the last non-conference matchups, the RedHawks are set to face the Louisiana State University Tigers (LSU). LSU is not only one of the premier South Eastern Conference teams, it is one of the best in the nation. Ranked 16th in the preseason poll, the Tigers reached the Sweet 16 last year. LSU has six out of 11 starters returning for this season, along with transfer Allie Fryer, a fifth year from BYU.

The RedHawks are also coming off a strong season, finishing 11-5-3 last year, recording their highest win total in over a decade. Miami is led by senior Katie O’Malley, who earned first team MAC honors last season.

Courtney Sirmans enters her ninth season as the head coach of the women’s soccer team. Sirmans’ team finished second in the MAC last year, her highest finish ever as the Redhawks coach. Miami has kept most of its core returning eight starters this year.

This midseason match will be a big indicator on how Miami will fare in conference play and how the team stacks up against a nationally-ranked contender.

Volleyball vs. Ball State, Oct. 20

Miami volleyball has a favorable schedule this season, with lots of winnable matches and invitational tournaments. After finishing 16-15 last year, the third-year head coach Dan Gwitt looks to keep improving his team and finish higher in the conference.

The Redhawks open the year with out-of-conference matches and tournaments and will not start conference play until late September. The RedHawks will face the Ball State University Cardinals, the reigning MAC regular season champions, twice this season, which will serve as measuring sticks for the team’s play.

Ball State has won the past seven matchups against Miami.Winning the series could make an end-of-season push to help them compete for a MAC championship in late November.

Field Hockey vs. Michigan, Oct. 25

Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter

The women’s field hockey team is coming off a MAC title and a run in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Under 16th-year head coach Iñako Puzo, the Redhawks look to push even farther in the tournament, with 20 of 28 players from last season’s roster returning.

Miami has dominated the MAC in field hockey, winning nine consecutive conference championships. Looking for the decade-long streak of conference championships, the RedHawks must prove their strength against the University of Michigan.

The University of Michigan Wolverines finished fourth in their conference last season, remaining a consistent contender in the Big Ten. This is the hardest test the RedHawks will encounter at home.

The ladies will also face defending national champions Northwestern University Wildcats Sept. 13 in Evanston, Illinois.

Football vs. Ohio University, Nov. 10

The Battle of the Bricks is always a competitive matchup, no matter the sport. Miami has a late season matchup against the Ohio University Bobcats in a game that will likely have an impact on the MAC standings. The Bobcats will enter the matchup on a two game winning streak against the RedHawks. .

In the 2024 MAC championship game, Miami kept it close in the first quarter before Ohio ran away with the game, winning in commanding fashion 38-3. Last year’s outing featured the Bobcats getting the best of the RedHawks, beating them 24-20 in a game that came down to the fourth quarter.

The last time the Bobcats traveled to Oxford was 2024. Miami took control of the scoreboard for the first half of the game. Ohio rallied in the second half, but couldn’t stop the RedHawks, who won 30-20.

This midweek game is set to take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10. This is the last home game for the Redhawks.

Hockey vs. University of Nebraska Omaha, Nov. 13-14

The University of Nebraska Omaha is the Men’s Hockey team’s first real test of the 2026-27 season.

The RedHawks will return 16 players from last year’s roster, and with more experience, Miami looks to knock out the University of Nebraska Omaha in two straight contests during the weekend.

Head coach Anthony Noreen is entering his third year as head coach of the RedHawksthis fall, with even higher expectations. After elevating his team from three wins to 18 between year one and year two as head coach, the Redhawks look to recapture the NCHC tournament, for the first time in a decade.

Honorable mention: Football vs. Cincinnati, Sept. 19

One of Miami University’s biggest rivals, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats, is set to face the RedHawks in football for the first time since the 2024 season. The series is narrowly held on by the Bearcats 61–60–7 all time, with Cincinnati winning the last game 27-16. This will be the second Power Four matchup for the RedHawks this season.

The Battle for the Victory Bell will be taking place at TQL stadium in Cincinnati, a neutral site for the teams to battle on. The game has an early kickoff at 12:30 p.m., and will be aired on ESPN+. Although an hour away, this game is one of the best of the Redhawks schedule.

mccartd6@miamioh.edu