Connecticut, the defending NCAA Division I champion, has been chosen to capture the 2001 Big East men’s soccer regular season title by a vote of the league’s 13 head coaches. Each coach voted for every team except his own, with 12 points given for a first-place vote, 11 for second, etc. Connecticut senior defender Chris Gbandi, the 2000 Hermann Trophy winner honoring the top collegiate player, is the unanimous choice as the Big East Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. His teammate, senior Bryheem Hancock, is the unanimous choice for Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year. Hancock posted 15 shutouts in 25 games and led all league goalkeepers with a 0.50 goals against average. Boston College junior forward Casey Schmidt, the 2000 Offensive Player of the Year, was chosen as the 2001 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Schmidt posted eight goals and three assists to help lead the Eagles to their first Big East Tournament title since 1990. Last season, UConn finished the season with a 20-3-2 record and the conference’s second NCAA title in the last five years. The Huskies won the Big East regular-season title with an 8-1-2 mark. UConn, under the direction of fifth-year head coach Ray Reid, earned 143 points in the preseason poll and garnered 11 first-place votes. St. John’s finished second in the voting, earning 129 points. The Red Storm are coming off their eighth consecutive trip to the NCAA Championship and a 14-5-2 overall record. Head coach Dave Masur guided SJU to an 8-2-1 record in conference play to finish second in the regular season race. The Red Storm will be led by senior midfielders Jeff Matteo and Shalrie Joseph, members of the Preseason All-Big East Team. Rutgers finished third in the voting with 123 points and received the two remaining first-place votes. The Scarlet Knights, plagued by injuries in the 2000 season, will be in search of their 10th NCAA berth under head coach Bob Reasso who enters his 21st season at Rutgers. Junior midfielder Guy Abrahamson, a unanimous choice on the Preseason All-Big East Team, will lead the Knights in 2001. Senior forward Dennis Ludwig and senior back David Boutilier are also members of the preseason team. Virginia Tech will play its first season as a member of the Big East, pushing the men’s soccer membership to 13 teams. Therefore, each team will play a 10-game conference schedule. The top eight teams based on regular season record will qualify for the Big East Soccer Championship. Quarterfinal games will be held on campus sites on Nov. 10 or 11, while the semifinals and final will be held at Morrone Stadium on Connecticut’s campus Nov. 16 and 18. Big East Preseason Poll
| Team | Points | Big East record | Overall record | Regular-season finish |
| 1. Connecticut (11) | 143 | 8-1-2 | 20-3-2 | 1st |
| 2. St. JohnÆs | 129 | 8-2-1 | 14-5-2 | 2nd |
| 3. Rutgers (2) | 123 | 5-5-1 | 10-9-1 | tied 6th |
| 4. Boston College | 99 | 7-3-1 | 12-7-1 | 3rd |
| 5. Seton Hall | 98 | 6-5-0 | 13-7-0 | 5th |
| 6. Notre Dame | 94 | 4-7-0 | 7-8-2 | 9th |
| 7. Georgetown | 89 | 5-5-1 | 9-8-1 | tied 6th |
| 8. Syracuse | 66 | 4-5-2 | 8-9-2 | 8th |
| 9. Pittsburgh | 54 | 7-4-0 | 13-5-0 | 4th |
| 10. West Virginia | 44 | 1-9-1 | 4-13-1 | 12th |
| 11. Providence | 32 | 3-7-1 | 4-13-1 | 10th |
| 12. Virginia Tech | 22 | n/a | 8-9-2 | n/a |
| 13. Villanova | 21 | 2-7-2 | 6-9-2 | 11th |