Indiana Soccer Celebrates Trailblazing Teams
Austin Coats, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — They did it first.
Indiana has played in more NCAA College Cups (22) and national championship games (17) than any program in Division I men’s soccer. Since it became a varsity program in 1973, no other program can match its 50 NCAA Tournament appearances.
This week, IU celebrates trailblazers: members of its 1974, 1975 and 1976 men’s soccer teams will be honored during halftime of Friday’s match, as the No. 2 Hoosiers host No. 4 Maryland.
In May of 1973, the Indiana University Board of Trustees voted to award varsity status to men’s soccer after coach Jerry Yeagley had led the club program for 10 seasons. The decision immediately paid off; Indiana won 12 of its 14 games during its debut '73 season.
One year later – two years into the program’s varsity status – the 1974 team earned the program’s first NCAA Tournament bid.
Upon selection, Yeagley told reporters: “There are many times since we began the soccer program here with six players 11 years ago that I have questioned whether or not we could make it. To get varsity status last year was the first step to a national title, this is the second.”
The team finished 14-3-0, falling in the regional to 70’s powerhouse SIU-Edwardsville. But the Hoosiers were just getting started. IU put together a 13-3-1 record in 1975, just missing the tournament, before a historic 1976 season.
We've accomplished more than expected now. But we don't want to stop. Two years ago when we first played in the NCAA, we were playing for respectability. Well, we've got that respectability now, so we're shooting to go all the way."Jerry Yeagley via The Indianapolis Star, 1976
In the spring of ’76, Bloomington watched as Bob Knight’s IU basketball team completed an undefeated 32-0 season to win that program’s third of five national championships. Fifty years later, it remains the last men’s Division I basketball team to finish a season unbeaten.
Come fall, Yeagley’s soccer team – in its fourth varsity season – nearly matched the basketball team’s achievement. The Hoosiers strode into the '76 title game with an 18-0-1 record but fell to San Francisco, another 70’s powerhouse that won its second straight NCAA title. Still, the group left its legacy as the first IU soccer team to reach a "College Cup" and a national final.
Six years and three more finals later, the Hoosiers would reach the mountaintop in 1982 – winning its first of eight NCAA Championships. But not without the efforts of those ’74, ’75 and ’76 teams that showed the way, that won a combined 45 of 54 games.
“The club players had laid a great foundation,” Yeagley says. “But to be in the final four and to play a championship game in four years was a big surprise to a lot of people. Not to us, but to a lot of other people – who’s this Indiana?
“We played a great game. We missed a penalty kick that could have won it. And after that, nobody asked, ‘Who’s that Indiana?’
“I’m really excited [to celebrate them]. I haven’t seen some of them for quite some time, other I’ve seen quite often, but to have the whole group together and watch them enjoy each other, reunite with each other, relive the good old days and just watch them hug each other – that’ll make it worthwhile.”
1974-76 Teams, by the numbers…
- 1 Player and 1 Coach in the IU Athletics Hall of Fame
- 2 Coaches who have won an NCAA Division I National Championship
- 3 Players who played for U.S. Men’s National Team in international competition
- 1 Hermann Trophy winner
- 6 All-Americans
- 3 Players who rank Top 10 for points and 4 Players who rank Top 15 for goals in program history
- At least 13 players who enjoyed professional soccer careers
- Altogether, these players, coaches and managers have given a minimum of 500 years of work in soccer outside their IU club and varsity coaching, managing and playing time
