LAKELAND, Fla. — Southeastern University has officially announced its men's soccer schedule for the upcoming 2026 season. The 16-game regular-season campaign features six home matches at the SEU Soccer Field, nine true road contests, and one neutral-site fixture.
The program enters a new chapter under first-year head coach Gabriel Sitibaldi, who brings nine seasons of head-coaching experience to Lakeland. Sitibaldi spent six seasons leading Williams Baptist before most recently serving a three-year stint at Trinity Christian. Throughout his career, he has compiled an overall record of 93-58-22, highlighted by sustained competitive success and a strong track record of building programs at each stop.
"I am excited to work with the guys that stayed, and look forward to adding some new faces so we can begin creating our own identity," said Sitibaldi. "I'm most looking forward to contributing to the winning culture the athletics department strives for and building a spiritual brotherhood within the team that we can share with the whole campus!"
Southeastern kicks off its 2026 campaign on August 22 with a road test at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Fire will make their home debut at the SEU Soccer Field on Wednesday, August 26, hosting Florida Memorial in a non-conference tilt. The Fire then embark on a five-game road stretch, highlighted by an August 31 match at No. 5 Georgia Gwinnett.
Sun Conference play officially begins on Wednesday, September 30, when the Fire host Ave Maria. They return home on Saturday, October 10, to host Webber International in a Polk County Derby, before hitting the road to West Palm Beach to face reigning Sun Conference champion No. 16 Keiser. The Fire wrap up their home regular-season schedule against Warner on October 24 before closing out the regular season at St. Thomas on October 28.
The Sun Conference Tournament begins with opening-round matches on campus sites on Wednesday, November 4, and concludes with the championship on November 11. The NAIA National Championship opens with the First and Second Rounds on November 19-21, while the final site of the 68th annual NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship will be held November 30 through December 7at the Orange Beach Sportsplex in Orange Beach, Alabama. The championship match is scheduled for December 7.
