Share
The leaves have yet to turn to fall colors, but it’s never too early to look ahead to the upcoming cross country season. After Oklahoma State won the men’s cross country title and NC State won the women’s cross country titles, the 2026 season looks to continue the excitement of distance running.
You can find information on when the 2026 college cross country season starts here. This story will be updated if invitationals and dates are changed.
When does the 2026 college cross country season start?
The 2026 season is set to begin on Friday, September 4 with a litany of season-opening meets and invitationals. Here are some of the invitationals currently scheduled.
September 4
Covered Bridge Open | Host: Appalachian State
Lehigh Invitational | Host: Lehigh
Friday Night Lights Elon Opener | Host: Elon
CSU Buccaneer Open | Host: Charleston Southern
Eye Opener | Host: USC Upstate
Golden Eagle Invitational | Host: Tennessee Tech
Fighting Illini Invitational | Host: Illinois
Cyclone Opener | Host: Iowa State
Florida Intercollegiate Invitational | Host: North Florida
Providence Friar Invite | Host: Providence
Winrow Valparaiso Open | Host: Valparaiso
Badger Preview | Host: Wisconsin
September 5
UCA Bear Invitational | Host: Central Arkansas
Spider Alumni Open | Host: Richmond
Cowboy Preview | Host: Oklahoma State
Some other notable invitationals to watch throughout the rest of the season can be found below:
September 11
Virginia Invitational | Host: Virginia
Spartan Run | Host: Michigan State
September 18
Adidas XC Challenge | Host: NC State
Southern Showcase | Host: Jacksonville State
Billiken XC Invite | Host: Saint Louis
Florida State XC Invitational | Host: Florida State
Roy Griak Invitational | Host: Minnesota
September 19
John McNichols Invitational | Host: Indiana State
September 25
Gans Creek Classic | Host: Missouri
Loyola Lakefront Invitational | Host: Loyola-Chicago
September 26
Cowboy Jamboree | Host: Oklahoma State
October 2
Joe Piane Notre Dame Invite | Host: Notre Dame
Paul Short Run | Host: Lehigh
Richmond Invitational | Host: Richmond
Fire Tower Project | Host: Appalachian State
Georgia Tech Invitational | Host: Georgia Tech
October 3
Louisville Cross Country Classic | Host: Louisville
October 9
Nuttycombe Invitational | Host: Wisconsin
October 10
New England Championships | Location: Hopkinton, NH
October 16
Pre-Nationals | Host: Indiana State
Panorama Farms Invitational | Host: Virginia
Crimson Classic | Host: Alabama
IC4A/ECAC Championships | Location: New York, NY
Princeton Fall Classic | Host: Princeton
Bradley Pink Classic | Host: Bradley
Arturo Barrios Invitational | Host: Texas A&M
October 17
Upstate Invitational | Host: USC Upstate
Weis-Crockett Invitational | Host: Oklahoma State
NCAA XC:Â Here’s how the cross country championships work
Division I cross country postseason schedule
Conference championship weekend in cross country for most schools will be from October 29-November 1. After that comes the NCAA meets. Here’s what you need to know.
Regionals on November 13, 2025
Great Lakes:Â Michigan State (Forest Akers)
Mid-Atlantic:Â Lehigh (Goodman Campus Cross Country Course)
Midwest:Â Iowa State (Iowa State Cross Country Course)
Mountain:Â New Mexico (North Golf Course)
Northeast:Â Hofstra (Bethpage State Park)
South:Â Florida State (Apalachee Regional Park)
South Central: Texas A&M (Dale Watts ’71 Cross Country Course)
Southeast:Â South Carolina Upstate (Roger Milliken Center)
West:Â Sacramento State (Arcade Creek Cross Country Course)
National Championship on November 21, 2026
Host: Indiana State on Nov. 21
The national championship meet will be ran in Terre Haute, Indiana on November 21, 2026 at LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course. This will mark the first time Indiana State has hosted a DI cross country national championship since 2019 and the 14th time overall.
INDIVIDUAL CHAMPS:Â Every DI cross country individual men’s and women’s champion all-time
Oklahoma State and NC State took the DI cross country national titles during the 2025 season. Here’s a recent history of the cross country championship.
Year
Men’s Champ
Women’s Champ
Location
2025
Oklahoma State
NC State
Missouri
2024
BYU
BYU
Wisconsin
2023
Oklahoma State
NC State
Virginia
2022
Northern Arizona
NC State
Oklahoma State
2021
Northern Arizona
NC State
Florida State
2020
Northern Arizona
BYU
Oklahoma State
2019
BYU
Arkansas
Indiana State
2018
Northern Arizona
Colorado
Wisconsin
REGIONALS:Â Future regional championship sites
Future XC national championship locationsÂ
In 2027Â Oklahoma State will host the Division I men’s and women’s cross country championships.
Stan Becton joined NCAA.com in 2021 and has since served as a college football, FCS football, track and field, cross country and HBCU beat reporter. He has covered numerous NCAA championship events, including the FCS Championship, DI Track & Field Championships and Men’s Frozen Four. Additionally, he has covered the College Football Playoff and HBCU sporting events like the Celebration Bowl, MEAC/SWAC Challenge and Legacy Classic. Stan graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, earning a degree in Professional Writing and playing football as a five-year letterman. You can follow him on Twitter @stan_becton.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions.
2026 NCAA cross country national championships: Date, time, TV channel, history
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 NCAA cross country championships.
Cross Country Awards: The history of the USTFCCCA’s Cross Country National Athlete of the Year
The USTFCCCA’s Cross Country National Athlete of the Year award is given to the most outstanding male and female NCAA cross country athletes. Here’s what to know about cross country’s highest honor.
Here’s every Division I cross country individual men’s and women’s champion
Every individual to win an NCAA Division men’s or women’s cross country national championship.