NEW YORK – The 2026 BIG EAST field hockey season gets underway Friday with six conference teams taking the field to open a competitive weekend of non-conference action.
No. 8 Liberty officially begins the season at noon on Friday when the reigning BIG EAST champion visits Maine. Temple travels to James Madison, and Providence heads to Boston College for 3 p.m. ET matchups, while Old Dominion opens at Ohio State and Villanova visits Delaware at 4 p.m. Georgetown rounds out Friday’s slate with a 5 p.m. contest at Davidson.
Three more games are on tap Saturday as No. 11 UConn opens its season against New Hampshire at noon. Liberty returns to action with a matchup at UMass, while Old Dominion closes its opening weekend against Bellarmine at 3 p.m.
The opening weekend features several teams expected to contend for the BIG EAST title this fall. Liberty was selected as the unanimous preseason favorite after capturing both the BIG EAST regular-season and tournament championships in 2025. UConn was picked second in the preseason coaches’ poll, followed by Old Dominion, Temple, Villanova, Providence, and Georgetown.
The conference also welcomes back several of its top individual performers. Villanova graduate student Ava Borkowski was selected as the BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Providence senior Bo Martina earned Preseason Midfielder of the Year honors. Liberty’s Dara Semmartin and Diane Saint Martin were unanimous selections as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year.
Sunday wraps up with another full slate of competition. Villanova faces La Salle and Georgetown takes on Appalachian State at noon, while Providence meets Boston University. UConn travels to Saint Joseph’s, and Temple closes out the weekend against Maryland at 2 p.m.
The opening weekend provides all seven BIG EAST programs an early opportunity to build momentum against quality non-conference competition as teams begin their pursuit of the 2026 BIG EAST Championship and an NCAA Tournament berth.
Opening Week Schedule
Friday, Aug. 28
Liberty @ Maine – Noon
Temple @ James Madison – 3 p.m.
Providence @ Boston College – 3 p.m.
Old Dominion @ Ohio State – 4 p.m.
Villanova @ Delaware – 4 p.m.
Georgetown @ Davidson – 5 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 29
UConn @ New Hampshire – Noon
Liberty @ UMass – Noon
Old Dominion @ Bellarmine – 3 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 30
Villanova @ La Salle – Noon
Georgetown @ Appalachian State – Noon
Boston University vs. Providence – Noon
UConn @ Saint Joseph’s – 2 p.m.
Temple @ Maryland – 2 p.m.
All times are Eastern Standard Time