NEW ORLEANS – Huston-Tillotson University's men's soccer team placed three players on the preseason All-HBCU Athletic Conference team, as the league announced the preseason honors and predicted order of finish of its teams.
The Rams received 29 points in the preseason predicted order-of-finish of the league's six soccer-playing schools, one point behind in-state rival Wiley, and two fewer than predicted champion Talladega (Ala.). Talladega received three first-place votes, while HT received two of the remaining three.
Senior goalkeeper
Juan Acosta (Austin, Texas/Crockett) was named the Preseason All-HBCUAC Goalkeeper of the Year, leading the Rams' three honorees. Acosta led the Rams in wins last season and made 65 saves for HT in 2024.
The Rams also placed defender
Jose Camarena and striker
Christian Kisukulu on the preseason all-conference team. Camarena (Austin, Texas/Connally) led the Rams in minutes played last season and tallied a goal and an assist. Kisukulu (Kinshasa, Dem. Republic of Congo/Michigan Lutheran HS) scored three goals for the Rams last season and scored HT's first goal of 2025.
Rounding out the predicted order of finish in the conference was Tougaloo (Miss.) (fourth place, 17 points), Paul Quinn (Texas) (11 points), and Oakwood (Ala.) (eight points).
The HBCU Athletic Conference, whose schools are member institutions of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), will sponsor soccer this season for the first time since 2009. The additions of Huston-Tillotson and Paul Quinn in July gave the league six soccer-playing institutions.
Oakwood, Talladega, Tougaloo, and Wiley fielded soccer teams in the NAIA's Continental Athletic Conference last season. The CAC groups all independent institutions, as well as other schools fielding sports not offered by their primary conference, into a conference format to give teams access to berths into the NAIA's national tournaments.
The HBCU Athletic Conference will split its teams into two divisions in the 2025 season, with the three Texas institutions placed in the league's West Division. The Rams will play home-and-home series with both Wiley and Paul Quinn in October.
The Rams return to action Saturday, Aug. 30, when they make the relatively short trip (by the standards of typical Austin traffic) across Interstate Highway 35 to face NCAA Division II St. Edward's.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on the St. Edward's campus; the match will begin approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the women's match between the two schools.
– HT –
