ALISO VIEJO, Calif. - The Cal Poly Pomona men's soccer team has been ranked No. 3 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Preseason Polls, it was announced by the conference office on Wednesday morning.
 
 
2026 CCAA Preseason Poll:
 

1. Cal State Dominguez Hills - (5) 155
2. Stanislaus State - (4) (148)
3. Cal Poly Pomona - (2) 142
4. Cal State LA - (1) 137
5. Cal State San Bernardino - (1) 119
6. Cal State East Bay - 96
7. Cal State San Marcos - 90
8. Chico State - 69
9. Cal State Monterey Bay - 62
10. Menlo - 60
11. Fresno Pacific - 47
12. UC Merced - 31
13. Cal Poly Humboldt - 27

 
Head Coach Matt O'Sullivan, the winningest coach in CPP men's soccer history and 2024 CCAA Coach of the Year, enters his seventh season (eighth year) at the helm. While leading CPP, the Broncos have made the NCAA Tournament in five of his six years and look to return to the big stage after an eighth place conference finish in 2025. He is assisted by Jose Ortega (ninth season, tenth year), Andriyy Budnyy (third season), Gabriel Ortiz (third season) and Eric Pearce (second season).
 
"We're very new, but I really like this group. They are fun to be around," said O'Sullivan, "They have a different spirit and a lot of depth."
 
Captains Aleksandar Somov, Liam McFarlane and Jack Chapman are expected to lead the young squad. Somov and McFarlane were part of the 2024 squad that posted a 13-2-7 record and captured the CCAA regular-season title, giving them valuable experience in high-level competition, while Chapman, a 2025 All-CCAA Honorable Mention, begins his second year at CPP, previously transferring from Sonoma State and being described as a natural leader by O'Sullivan. Other leaders on the team include Victor Casillas, Daniel Gutierrez and Efren Nunez Dominguez.
 
"You can't draw spirit on a piece of paper," said O'Sullivan, "It's the energy you bring to a game, and we have a good feeling about that with this group."
 
That energy and spirit was displayed in a scrimmage against Concordia University Irvine on August 18, where the Broncos beat the Golden Eagles, 4-1, highlighted by two goals off the foot of Marvin Gamez. While just a friendly match, it showed the spark the Broncos have heading into the 2026 campaign.
 
"This is just a really fun group to be in," added Budnyy, "We are excited to see what is to come."
 
Cal Poly Pomona will open their season at Kellogg Stadium against Biola on August 27. They will travel to Cal State LA for the CCAA opener on September 18, facing the Golden Eagles. Their first conference home match is scheduled for September 20 versus UC Merced.
 
 
The Broncos will be hosting the 2026 CCAA Tournament at Kellogg Stadium for the first time since 2015. To view the full 2026 schedule, click HERE.
 
 
Tickets:
 
Cal Poly Pomona Athletics enters the second year of a partnership with vivenu, a ticketing company committed to simplifying the ticket purchasing experience for college sports fans. Tickets are available to purchase online for the entire 2026 season HERE.
 
●      Adults - $12
●      Military/First Responder - $7
●      Senior (Ages 65+) - $7
●      Children (Ages 6-17) - $5
●      Visiting Students (with ID) - $5
●      CPP Students (with ID) - FREE
 
CCAA on FloCollege:
 
All CCAA-sponsored events, including conference postseason games, will be broadcast on FloCollege. Prices start at $9.99 per month for the annual plan, or $24.99 per month for the monthly plan. To sign up, please click HERE.