No. 1 SMU Soccer Makes History, Clinches First ACC Regular Season Title

The SMU Mustangs aren't just competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference anymore. They're winning championships.

No. 1 SMU men's soccer secured at least a share of the 2026 ACC regular-season championship Sunday, becoming the first Mustangs program in any sport to accomplish that feat since the university joined the conference in 2024.

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And Kevin Hudson's unbeaten squad isn't finished.

SMU enters the final week of the regular season with a 12-0-2 overall record and a 6-0-1 mark in ACC competition. The Mustangs have 19 conference points, three ahead of Clemson, with an opportunity to claim the championship outright Friday against No. 10 Louisville.

The breakthrough became official following a productive weekend for the Mustangs.

SMU handled California 2-0 Saturday in Berkeley before third-ranked Clemson settled for a 2-2 draw against Virginia Tech on Sunday. Those results ensured the Tigers couldn't finish ahead of the Mustangs in the conference standings.

It's another milestone for Hudson, who guided SMU to the 2025 ACC Tournament championship.

Now his program has added a regular-season crown to its growing collection of accomplishments.

Saturday's victory illustrated why SMU has been so difficult to beat.

Jaylinn Mitchell opened the scoring in the 29th minute, finishing a setup from Ryan Clanton-Pimentel. Nick Harshaw doubled the advantage shortly after halftime, scoring his first goal of the season.

Clanton-Pimentel assisted on both goals, increasing his season total to nine.

The defensive effort was equally impressive.

Goalkeeper Jonathan Evans and the Mustangs recorded their 10th shutout of the season, continuing a remarkable stretch of consistency. SMU also completed its regular-season road schedule with a perfect 5-0 record.

Mitchell now has three goals and seven assists, while Harshaw has contributed one goal and five assists.

The numbers reflect a team finding production from multiple positions without sacrificing defensive stability.

And there's a bigger opportunity ahead.

SMU hosts Louisville on Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT at Washburne Stadium in its regular-season finale and Senior Day celebration.

A victory would eliminate any possibility of sharing the ACC championship and send the Mustangs into postseason play with an unbeaten record.

For a program that joined the ACC only two years ago, the transformation has been remarkable.

The Mustangs have already captured the conference tournament title and guaranteed themselves a share of the regular-season championship.

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Now they'll try to claim the trophy outright before turning their attention to the NCAA Tournament.

SMU has made its statement to the ACC. The next challenge is making one to the rest of col