Clemson Tabbed 2025 Preseason ACC Men’s Soccer Favourite

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Clemson has been chosen as the favourite to win the 2025 Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Soccer Championship following a vote of the league’s 15 head coaches. Voted the league’s preseason favorites for the fourth straight season, the Tigers have been picked because the ACC favourite on 4 of the coaches’ ballots.
 
Reigning ACC champion Wake Forest earned essentially the most coaches’ votes to win the title, with 5, and was second within the preseason ballot. Pitt matched Clemson with 4 first-place votes, whereas Duke notched a pair of first-place votes.
 
The league additionally unveiled its 2025 Preseason Watch List, consisting of 1 student-athlete from every program, nominated by the respective colleges. The watch listing is highlighted by Pitt’s Casper Svendby, a 2024 First-Team All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year, in addition to All-Americans Ulfur Bjornsson (Duke) and Cooper Flax (Wake Forest) and the 2024 ACC Freshman of the Year, Ransford Gyan of Clemson.
 
The voting was tight on the prime of the ballot between Clemson, Wake Forest, Pitt and Duke. With 185 whole factors, Clemson edged out Wake Forest (175) for the highest spot. Pitt (167) and Duke (160) additionally have been shut behind.
 
SMU and Stanford tied for fifth within the ballot with 136 factors apiece, whereas North Carolina (115) was seventh, NC State (108) took eighth and Virginia claimed ninth (104). Notre Dame (81) earned tenth place, whereas Syracuse (63), California (57), Virginia Tech (34), Louisville (33) and Boston College (21) rounded out the ballot.
 
Eight ACC groups are ranked within the Preseason United Soccer Coaches Top 25: SMU (No. 5), Wake Forest (No. 6), Pitt (No. 7), Clemson (No. 9), Stanford (No. 13), NC State (No. 14), Duke (No. 15) and Virginia (No. 17). That is essentially the most of any convention.
 
Nine of the 15 ACC groups earned NCAA Tournament bids final season. ACC groups have received 20 NCAA males’s soccer championships, together with three of the final 4 seasons (Clemson 2021 and 2023, Syracuse 2022). The convention returns a trio of 2024 All-Americans, with Svendby (first staff), Duke’s Ulfur Bjornsson (second staff) and Wake Forest’s Cooper Flax (third staff).
 
The 2025 ACC males’s soccer common season formally will get underway on Thursday, Aug. 21. League play begins on Friday, Sept. 5.
 
The 2025 ACC Men’s Soccer Championship opens at campus websites on Wednesday, Nov. 5. The semifinals and finals can be contested on Thursday, Nov. 13, and Sunday, Nov. 16, at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina.
 
2025 ACC Men’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Clemson (4), 185
2. Wake Forest (5), 175
3. Pitt (4), 167
4. Duke (2), 160
T5. Stanford, 136
T5. SMU, 136
7. North Carolina, 115
8. NC State, 108
9. Virginia, 104
10. Notre Dame, 81
11. Syracuse, 63
12. California, 57
13. Virginia Tech, 34
14. Louisville, 33
15. Boston College, 21
 
First-place votes in parentheses
 
2025 ACC Men’s Soccer Preseason Watch List
Ask Ekeland, Sr., M, Boston College
Alfredo Ortiz, Sr., D, California
Ransford Gyan, So., M, Clemson
Ulfur Bjornsson, Jr., F, Duke
Alex Svetanoff, Jr., GK, Louisville
Andrew Czech, Gr., M/D, North Carolina
Donavan Phillip, Jr., F, NC State
Wyatt Lewis, Jr., M, Notre Dame
Casper Svendby, Sr., D, Pitt
Jaylinn Mitchell, Jr., M, SMU
Zach Bohane, Sr., M, Stanford
Chimere Omeze, So., D, Syracuse
Umberto Pelà, Sr., M, Virginia
Sam Joseph, Sr., GK, Virginia Tech
Cooper Flax, Sr., M, Wake Forest