NAIA National Qualifiers Release
SEWARD, Neb. – For the first time in program history, Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Soccer will make back-to-back appearances on the national stage. On Friday (Nov. 13) evening, the Bulldogs learned they had been rewarded with an at-large berth into the field of qualifiers for the 2026 NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship. Head Coach Bernie Ochoa’s squad will be headed to Marion, Ind., for the NAIA First Round on Thursday, Nov. 19 with an opportunity to advance and play in the NAIA Second Round on Saturday, Nov. 21.
Concordia will be hosted for first/second round action by No. 4 overall seed Indiana Wesleyan University. The winner between Concordia and Friends University (Kan.) will advance to play the Wildcats in round two. The complete field is made up of 40 teams: 23 automatic qualifiers and 17 at-large choices.
Named 2026 GPAC Coach of the Year, Ochoa led Concordia Men’s Soccer to its first ever conference regular season championship. The 2026 Bulldogs will carry an overall record of 13-4-1 into the national tournament. Concordia was especially dominant during conference regular season play, going a perfect 10-0 while outscoring opponents by a combined total of 44-7. The Bulldogs garnered a national tournament at-large bid based on metrics such as their strong RPI (No. 18 in the NAIA) and strength of scheduled (39th). Concordia was also ranked sixth in the Midwest Region by the NAIA Selection Committee. It cracked the most recent NAIA top 25 poll at No. 22.
The announcement means that the Bulldogs have qualified as an at-large team for the first time in program history. Concordia earned its three previous national tournament qualifications by winning the GPAC tournament championship (2015, 2022 and 2025). Each of those national tournament berths were guided by 18-year Head Coach Jason Weides, now the Director of Soccer Operations and Head Women’s Soccer Coach at Concordia. This past 2025 season, Weides and the Bulldogs advanced to the NAIA second round, marking the program’s first ever advancement past the first round.
In addition to Ochoa being named GPAC Coach of the Year, eight Bulldog players were recognized as GPAC All-Conference award winners on Nov. 12. Most notably, senior Hugo Garrote was named both the GPAC Player of the Year and GPAC Midfielder of the Year. Other major honors went to Sean Stratman as GPAC Defender of the Year and Florian Quast as GPAC Keeper of the Year. Garrote, Quast and Stratman were joined on the GPAC’s first team by Joe McCarroll and Michael Wyvill. Second team accolades went to Elijah Fulton, Sebastian Montino and Kai Olbrich.
The winners that emerge from the NAIA first/second round sites will advance to play at the final site of the national championship tournament, Orange Beach, Ala., Nov. 30-Dec. 7.
National Tournament Facts
· Concordia will make its fourth all-time appearance at the NAIA National Championship tournament. Bernie Ochoa becomes the second head coach to lead the Bulldogs onto the national stage. Previously, Jason Weides steered Concordia to the national tournament in 2015, 2022 and 2025 following GPAC tournament championship runs. In its past national tournaments, Concordia traveled to Bartlesville, Okla., in 2015, Winona Lake, Ind., in 2022 and Olathe, Kan., in 2025.
· The ’25 team made history by becoming the first edition in school annals to advance at the national tournament. Up against 24th-ranked Eastern Oregon in last year’s first round, the Bulldogs played the Mountaineers to a 0-0 draw through 110 minutes of action. In penalties, Concordia advanced by a 4-2 decision with Ricards Busmeisters’ strike clinching the advancement. The Bulldogs moved on to the second round and dropped a 3-0 clash with No. 2 MidAmerica Nazarene University, the site host.
· Concordia will now attempt to break through with its first ever goal at the national tournament. The 2015 Bulldogs were beaten by No. 2 Oklahoma Wesleyan University, 3-0, in the opening round. They also fell by that same score at the hands of No. 9 Keiser University (Fla.) in the first round of the 2022 national tournament. At last year’s tournament, keeper Inigo Chavarria earned credit for a shutout in the 0-0 stalemate with Eastern Oregon.
· Nine current Bulldogs saw action in last season’s triumphant matchup with Eastern Oregon. Those individuals are Hugo Garrote, Milo Hegarty, Mattis Hollnagel, Joe McCarroll, Kai Olbrich, Connor Robbins, Karlo Rodriguez, Sean Stratman and Michael Wyvill.
All-Time National Tournament Appearances
· 2026 – 13-4-1 overall (10-0 GPAC; 1st); GPAC regular season champion
· 2025 – 12-9-1 overall (7-3 GPAC; 3rd); GPAC tournament champion
· 2022 – 15-3-3 overall (8-1-2 GPAC; 2nd); GPAC tournament champion
· 2015 – 11-7-3 overall (4-4-2 GPAC; 6th); GPAC tournament champion