This post was updated July 20 at 12:06 p.m.

UCLA is set to enter its third season in the Big Ten, following a sophomore campaign in which the program captured three NCAA championships – the most of any other Big Ten school. The conference as a whole saw 10 different national titles to its name in the most recent competitive cycle. Daily Bruin Sports will preview the football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and other top programs of each Big Ten rival.

Football
2025 record: 9-4, 5-4 Big Ten, Bucked Up LA Bowl victory
Coach: Jedd Fisch

Player to watch: Demond Williams Jr.

The Huskies may not have had a remarkable conference record, but they took down the Bruins with ease: 48-14, at the Rose Bowl on November 22, highlighted by a defensive touchdown by Alex McLaughlin, who scored after the Bruins fumbled a fake field-goal attempt.

The senior safety tied a career-high 13 tackles against then-No. 1 Ohio State on September 27. He led the team in defensive tackles and interception yards, with 94 and 74, respectively.

Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. will likely continue to spearhead the Huskies’ offense. He led the team in 2025 with 25 passing touchdowns, 246 passing completions and 3,065 passing yards. His completion percentage of 69.5% put him at 10th in the nation, and his return for the 2026 campaign will be imperative if the Huskies hope to improve their performance from the last campaign.

Coach Jedd Fisch has been reshaping the program since taking the reins after Washington fell to Michigan in the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship match, with previous head honcho Kalen DeBoer moving to Alabama. During his first season, Fisch extended the Huskies’ home winning streak to a program record 20 games. Since then, he has been collecting top recruits, putting together the No. 13 recruiting class in the nation, the highest in program history.

Fisch was one of 20 coaches named to the Dodd Trophy preseason watch list, the top coaching award in the nation. Under Fisch, the Huskies jumped from 104th in the nation in scoring offense to 17th. They rose to 7th from 104th in red-zone offense and improved by 91 places in third-down conversions to sit at 10th in the nation. Defensively, they finished 2025 in the top 15 in both rushing and scoring defense, never allowing more than 26 points in a game.

Three of the squad’s four losses last season were to heavy hitters Michigan, Oregon and Ohio State. Washington’s slate this season sees the return of just one of those teams, Oregon, but also features a matchup against the reigning national champions, Indiana, for the Huskies’ last home game of the season.

While they will not be matching up with the Bruins again in 2026, the Huskies will still have a daunting road to reach the postseason.

Men’s basketball
2025-2026 record: 16-17, 7-13 Big Ten
Coach: Danny Sprinkle

Player to watch: LeJuan Watts

It was a tough season for the Huskies.

With just one ranked win during the season coming in December against then-No. 24 USC, Washington struggled to find success against premier opponents.

They fell twice to UCLA by narrow margins of two and four points. And after barely squeaking by USC in overtime during the first game of the Big Ten tournament, they fell to Wisconsin in the second round to end their season.

Forward Hannes Steinbach made a splash in his first collegiate season, leading the team in nearly every offensive category. He averaged a double-double with 18.5 points per game and 11.8 rebounds per game with a 57.7 field goal percentage. His 22 double-doubles across 30 games led the nation.

But good things don’t last forever.

After being named to the All-Big Ten Third Team and the conference All-Freshman Team, Steinbach was drafted 14th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2026 NBA draft, ending his collegiate career after just one year.

Coach Danny Sprinkle will have to find a way to fill the large gap created by Steinbach’s departure.

Guard Zoom Diallo transferring out won’t make the job any easier. Diallo, a rising junior, played in all 33 games during the 2025-2026 season. He scored 20 points in his first start at Washington State, also tallying season-highs of 26 points and nine rebounds against USC. He averaged 15.7 points per game last season on a 48.9 field goal percentage.

Still, Sprinkle picked up four transfers, including guard Ryan Beasley from San Francisco – the 2023-2024 WCC Freshman of the Year – and forward LeJuan Watts from Texas Tech. He also snagged Gonzaga guard Steele Venters, who has spent the past three seasons in Spokane, Washington, but sat out the first two due to injury.

After a below-average season, the Huskies will have to work extra hard to improve their performance. Losing their best player to the draft leaves a gaping hole to be filled.

If Sprinkle cannot find a way to patch it, the Huskies might be in for an even rougher campaign.

Women’s basketball
2025-2026 record: 22-11, 10-8 Big Ten, NCAA Tournament Second Round loss
Coach: Tina Langley

Player to watch: Sayvia Sellers

Eighth in the Big Ten, the Huskies fell in the middle of the pack.

But coach Tina Langley is working to change that.

Since taking the lead in 2021, she has propelled the squad from the bottom of the Pac-12 to a postseason-appearance team. And this offseason, she’s been busy making more changes.

The Huskies announced former UCLA assistant coach Tasha Brown as the program’s new associate coach June 26. She and Langley have worked together before, when they set up Rice University to go on a five year record-breaking run in 2016.

[Related: https://dailybruin.com/2026/06/26/womens-basketball-assistant-coach-tasha-brown-leaves-ucla-for-washington]

The Huskies also added Patrick Bowlin as an assistant coach, who has been shaping the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay since 2021, helping it reach multiple conference championships and NCAA tournament bids.

The team is retaining some of its standout athletes. Rising senior guard Sayvia Sellers led the team with 594 points last season, averaging 18 per game. She had multiple career bests in the Huskies’ upset over then-No. 16 Maryland on January 28, including 38 points on 15-for-32 shooting from the field.

The Huskies also kept guard Avery Howell, an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. Howell had a season-high 34 points at Wisconsin and led the team with a 50.8 field goal percentage on the year. She also nailed a team-high 85 three-point shots last season.

As for new blood, Washington brought in four-star guard Amayah Garcia, a McDonald’s All-American Game nominee and top-50 recruit.

With new coaches, veteran returners and fresh talent, the Huskies are on track to continue their upward trajectory.

Men’s soccer
2025 record: 16-6-2, 7-3-0 Big Ten, National Champions

Coach: Jamie Clark

Player to watch: Zach Ramsey

It was a program first.

Washington won its first national title with a golden goal in overtime after defender Harrison Bertos found the back of the net less than two minutes into overtime to give the Huskies a 3-2 victory over North Carolina State.

And while 2025 may have marked the squad’s most successful campaign in program history, it is poised to make yet another promising run in 2026.

With the 2025 Top Drawer Soccer Coach of the Year, Jamie Clark, at the helm for his 15th season, the Huskies are set to open Big Ten play at home against Penn State on September 11.

Clark, a former Stanford All-American, has lifted the program to become one of the nation’s best. Under his guidance, the team has made 12 trips to the postseason, including five NCAA quarterfinal finishes, two final match appearances and a title in 2025.

Yet a coach cannot do it alone, and Clark must fill in the gap where his most successful forward once stood.

Charlie Kosakoff is moving on from the collegiate scene, having been signed by LAFC2. He led the Huskies with 29 points, including 28 shots on goal and 60 total shots across the season. He scored 11 goals across 23 games, five of which ended up being game winners. He won Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week once during the season and was named to the All-Big Ten Second team.

Kosakoff, alongside midfielder Richie Aman and defender Asher Hestad, was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team. Hestad will be returning to the Huskies for the 2026 season.

Midfielder Zach Ramsey, the College Cup tournament’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player, will also return to the Huskies for his junior season. He placed second on the team in assists and goals during the 2025 campaign, tallying eight each.

Goalkeeper Jadon Bowton played his last match in the Husky purple last year, having been named the NCAA tournament’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player and listed on the All-Big Ten Second Team in 2025.

But the Huskies are bringing in new talent to make up for the athletes who are moving on. They signed seven incoming freshmen, including keeper Noah Newman, a starter for the Tacoma Defiance in the MLS Next Pro League.

Despite key losses, a mix of strong leadership and incoming talent may be enough to allow the Huskies to find success once more.