By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University has released the 2021 schedules for its traditional fall sports. The schedules are now on the Willamette website for cross country, football, men's soccer, women's soccer, women's triathlon, and volleyball. Schedules for sports that compete in the fall but have their championship seasons in the spring will be added later, along with schedules for the winter sports of swimming, men's basketball, and women's basketball.
All schedules are subject to change if COVID protocols are adjusted to limit competition. Details regarding gameday policies and fan attendance will be announced at a later date.
2021 Traditional Fall Sports Schedules
Cross Country
Football
Men's Soccer
Women's Soccer
Women's Triathlon
Volleyball
In addition to the planned return to full schedules this fall, each of the fall sports has featured events or highlights on its schedule.
The cross country teams will host the 46th Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational on October 2. The event honors long-time Willamette Head Coach Charles Bowles, who died in 2005 after a very successful career leading the Bearcats.
Football will play six of its 10 games at McCulloch Stadium. The home schedule includes Northwest Conference games against Pacific University on Oct. 2, Lewis & Clark College on Oct. 16, Pacific Lutheran University on Oct. 30, and Linfield University on Nov. 6.
Men's soccer, which went 8-0 this spring, will open the 2021 season in San Antonio, Texas, where the Bearcats will take on Southwestern University (Texas) on Sept. 3, Trinity University (Texas) on Sept. 4, and Occidental College (Calif.) on Sept. 6. The Bearcats will play 14 games against NWC opponents.
The women's soccer team will begin its schedule against crosstown rival Corban University at Sparks Field on Sept. 1. Willamette will then play two games in Thousand Oaks, California, as the Bearcats battle against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Sept. 3 and play California Lutheran University on Sept. 5. WU's schedule also features 16 games against NWC rivals.
Women's triathlon is Willamette's newest sport and will be competing for the first time this fall. The Bearcats will participate in three regional qualifiers -- in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, as well as Branson, Missouri, and St. George, Utah. The Collegiate Triathlon Championships are set for Nov. 13 in Tempe, Arizona.
Willamette's volleyball team is set to play four games in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sept. 3 and Sept. 4. The Bearcats will take on LaGrange College (Ga.) and host Emory University (Ga.) on the first day of the Emory Classic. On the second day, Willamette will play Covenant College (Ga.) and Brevard College (N.C.). The Bearcats will play a double round-robin schedule (16 games) in the NWC.