The Ohio State women’s soccer team is the 2026 Big Ten regular-season champion, clinching the title Sunday with a 3-0 win over Illinois at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus, with one week still to play in the regular season.
Amanda Schlueter opened the scoring with her team-leading 15th goal of the season, and the Buckeyes doubled the lead before halftime when sustained pressure on the Illinois defense produced an own goal, sending Ohio State into the break up 2-0.
Elle Britt sealed the result in the closing minutes, striking in the 84th minute to make it 3-0, while goalkeeper Peighton Northrup and the Ohio State defense recorded their 10th shutout of the year.
The win improved the Buckeyes to 14-1-1 overall and 10-1-0 in Big Ten play, good for 30 points. The 10 conference wins are the most in a single season in program history, according to the Buckeyes Wire report of the match.
Ohio State has also locked up the No. 1 seed in the eight-team Big Ten tournament, which runs Nov. 4 through Nov. 13, giving the Buckeyes the top path through the conference postseason.
One regular-season test remains: a rivalry trip to Ann Arbor to face Michigan on Friday. The Buckeyes will then turn to the conference tournament as the team to beat, carrying a defense that has conceded shutouts as a habit and an attack led by one of the league’s most productive scorers.
For Columbus fans, the title adds another championship chapter to a fall season already rich with Ohio State storylines, and it was earned the convincing way — a clean sheet, three goals, and a trophy secured before the final week even began.
Photo: Zippylips, CC BY-SA