Michigan State

Michigan State soccer began play in 1956, defeating arch-rival Michigan 3–1 at Old College Field in East Lansing in the program's first ever game as a varsity sport. The program found quick success with a first NCAA tournament appearance in 1962, advancing to the semifinals with a 2–0 loss to eventual national champion Saint Louis, kick-starting an 8-year run of post-season success under legendary coach Gene Kenney.

The Spartans advanced to the finals in 1964, losing 1–0 to Navy, and in 1965, losing to Saint Louis 1–0. Then, behind two-time All-American and Jamaican import Trevor Harris, who had followed fellow Jamaicans and All-Americans Payton Fuller and Tony Keyes to East Lansing, Michigan State won a co-national championship in 1967 with the championship game against Saint Louis tied 0–0 and called due to weather, after a 12–0–1 season. The Spartans then repeated in 1968 with the championship game against Maryland ending in a 2–2 draw capping an 11–1–3 campaign.

Despite winning seasons in all but 7 seasons over 31 years after Coach Kenney moved into athletic administration in 1970, it would take until 2001 for Michigan State to return to the NCAA tournament, losing to Big Ten Conference rival Indiana 1–0 in the second round after defeating Butler 2–1 in their first tournament match since 1969. The Spartans advanced to the Elite Eight in 2013 and 2014, one of only two teams in history to make back-to-back Elite Eight appearances, and returned to the College Cup in the 2018 NCAA season, losing in the national semifinals to Akron 5–1.

Big Ten conference soccer began play in 1991 and Michigan State has won the conference post-season tournament three times - 2004, 2008 and 2012.