It's never too early to prepare for the outdoor track and field season. After Georgia, Southern California and Texas A&M won last year's outdoor men's and women's championships, respectively, in thrilling fashion, the 2026 season looks to pick up where it left off with fast-paced action.
You can find information on when the 2026 outdoor track and field season starts below.
When does the 2026 outdoor track and field season start?
The 2026 season is set to begin on the weekend of Friday, March 20. The outdoor season kicks off right after the conclusion of the DI indoor track and field championships, which take place March 13-14*.
🤔: Here are the differences between the indoor and outdoor track seasons
Here are some of the meets currently scheduled for the opening weekend:
- Ole Miss Classic: March 20-21 | Host: Ole Miss
- OSU PNW Open: March 20-21 | Host: Oregon State
- TCU Alumni Invite: March 20-21 | Host: TCU
- UCF Invitational: March 20-21 | Host: UCF
- UTSA Invitational: March 20-21 | Host: UTSA
- Wes Kittley Invite: March 20-21 | Host: Abilene Christian
- Willie Williams Classic: March 20-21 | Host: Arizona
- Penn Challenge: March 21 | Host: Penn
- Virginia Opener: March 21 | Host: Virginia
- LSU Opener: March 21 | Host: LSU
- Yellow Jacket Invitational: March 20-21 | Host: Georgia Tech
*Per NCAA qualifying criteria, results from outdoor meets as early as March 1 can be taken into consideration for championship qualifiers.
More noteworthy outdoor track and field meets to watch in 2026
- Raleigh Relays: March 26-28 | Host: NC State
- FSU Relays: March 26-27 | Host: Florida State
- Clyde Hart Classic: March 27-28 | Host: Baylor
- Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays: April 1-4 | Host: Texas
- Florida Relays: April 3-4 | Host: Florida
- Battle on the Bayou: April 3-4 | Host: LSU
- Stanford Invitational: April 3-4 | Host: Stanford
- Jim Click Shootout: April 3-4 | Host: Arizona
- Spec Towns Invitational: April 9-11 | Host: Georgia
- Bryan Clay Multis: April 9-10 | Host: Azusa Pacific
- 44 Farms Team Invitational: April 9-11 | Host: Texas A&M
- Bryan Clay Invitational: April 16-18 | Host: Azusa Pacific
- Mt. SAC Relays: April 16-18 | Host: Mt. San Antonio College
- Oregon Team Invitational: April 17-18 | Host: Oregon
- Virginia Challenge: April 17-18 | Host: Virginia
- Tom Jones Memorial: April 17-18 | Host: Florida
- Drake Relays: April 22-25 | Host: Drake
- Penn Relays: April 23-25 | Host: Penn
- Payton Jordan Invitational: May 1 | Host: Stanford
- East Coast Relays: May 1-2 | Host: North Florida
- LSU Invitational: May 2 | Host: LSU
- Torrin Lawrence Memorial: May 2 | Host: Georgia
- Conference Championships: May 13-17
2026 DI men’s and women’s outdoor track and field championship schedule
Here are the DI men’s and women’s outdoor track and field championship dates and schedule. The preliminary meets are also included:
- East preliminary
- Wednesday, May 27, 2026 - Saturday, May 30, 2026 hosted by Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky at the UK Track & Field Complex
- West preliminary
- Wednesday, May 27, 2026 - Saturday, May 30, 2026 hosted by Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas at John McDonnell Field
- NCAA championships: Wednesday, June 10, 2024 - Saturday, June 13, 2024 hosted by Oregon in Eugene, Oregon at Hayward Field
Future NCAA championship locations and dates
In 2027, Oregon is set to host the DI outdoor track and field championships. Click or tap here for future dates and sites for DI outdoor track and field championships through 2028.
🧠WHAT TO KNOW: Comparing indoor and outdoor seasons | Wind and scoring explained | Greatest venues | Best uniforms
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions.
