Setting the Scene: The Lutes are back! Today begins in the 2022-2023 competitive calendar with Pacific Lutheran University with six sports competing over the extending weekend. Men's Soccer kicks things off with three home matches over the weekend with the women's soccer team playing two at East Field. Volleyball makes the short trek across town for four matches at the Puget Sound Premiere while men's and women's cross country is at Fort Steilacoom for the Puget Sound Invite on Saturday. Racking up the frequent flier miles is football, crossing two times zones for a clash against Bethel University in Minnesota.

Trailblazing NIL the D3 Way: PLU Athletics continues to lead the way nationally in Name, Image, and Likeness, unveiling the Luteville Marketplace on Wednesday through the department's partnership with Opendorse. Learn more about the deal here: LINK. But don't stay on the sidelines, get involved and connect with PLU student-athletes on the Luteville Marketplace: LINK
 
The Luteville Marketplace is the first dedicated NIL marketplace in Division III on the Opendorse platform that directly connects student-athletes with fans, supporters, and business partners in an easy to use website. 

Tickets, Tickets Tickets: The Lutes have made it easier for fans to attend home sporting events, signing a deal with HomeTown Ticketing to be the department's official electronic ticket provider. Lute fans can now purchase tickets online at GoLutes.com/tickets or on the HomeTown Ticketing mobile app available on iOS and Android devices. Learn More: LINK

Download the PLU Athletics App: Stay connected to your favorite teams by downloading the official mobile app of the Pacific Lutheran University athletic department powered by SIDEARM Sports, available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play. 
 
To download the app to your smartphone or tablet, visit the Apple App Store (DOWNLOAD LINK) or Google Play (DOWNLOAD LINK) and search for "PLU Athletics."

Thursday, Sept. 1:
MSOC hosts Highline at East Field (12 p.m.)
WSOC hosts Piedmont at East Field (2:30 p.m.)
Friday, Sept. 2:
VB vs. Salve Regina at Puget Sound Premiere (12:30 p.m.)
VB vs. Benedictine at Puget Sound Premiere (5:30 p.m.)
Saturday, Sept. 3:
WXC at Puget Sound Invitational in Lakewood, Wash. (11 a.m.)
MXC at Puget Sound Invitational in Lakewood, Wash. (11:30 a.m.)
VB at Puget Sound (9 a.m.)
FB at Bethel  (1 p.m. Central)
VB vs. Salve Regina or Benedictine at Puget Sound Premiere (TBA)
WSOC hosts Emory at East Field (4 p.m.)
MSOC hosts Marian at East Field (7 p.m.)
Monday, Sept. 5:
MSOC hosts Colorado College at East Field (12 p.m.)

Men's Soccer: The four-time defending Northwest Conference Champion Lutes (14-6-1, 11-3 NWC in 2021) are the first program officially to start the year with their clash with Highline. PLU will be playing with a target on its back, returning 49 of 57 goals scored from a season ago and both keepers. That includes NWC Offensive Player of the Year Cris Lozano (7 goals and 5 assists).

Learn more about the 2022 Lutes and their quest for the program's fifth straight league crown in the season preview: LINK

Women's Soccer: The PLU women's soccer program has one up on the men, searching for the program's sixth straight Northwest Conference title. The Lutes were 18-3 overall with a 14-2 league record last year with a largely inexperienced team. That has paid dividends for 2022 with a veteran-laden crew looking for the six-peat.

All-American and NWC Defensive Player of the Year Ella Merte anchors a strong defense that yielded just seven goals in 21 games.

Read more about the women's team in the season preview: LINK

Volleyball: Head Coach Kevin Aoki enters his 27th year at the helm with the Lutes looking to unseat Whitworth University to secure the program's first league crown since 2018.

Leading the charge for the Lutes is reigning NWC Libero of the Year Halle Hetzler who ranked seventh in the nation in digs per set. Stay tuned later today for a full season preview of the volleyball Lutes.

Cross Country: Saturday is the first of four meets to prep the Lutes before the 2022 NWC Championships in HIllsboro, Oregon. Last year Joan Park earned All-Conference for the women, placing fourth overall for the team's best finish since the fall of 2001.

For the men, the Lutes fell a point shy of earning a league crown while Ryan Stracke earning the NWC title, marking the third time in five years a Lute took top individual honors.

Stay tuned and learn more about Park, Stracke, and the rest of the crew later this weekend in their season preview.

Football: The Lutes travel to Minnesota for the first time since 2010 on Saturday, opening a historic season that will see PLU play a full 10-game regular season slate for the first time in program history.

Last fall the Lutes finished with a 4-5 record and a 3-4 mark in NWC action, closing the season strong with consecutive shutouts at the hands of Willamette University (24-0) and University of Puget Sound (33-0).

Catch more on the 2022 gridiron Lutes later this week.