KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee cross country head coach Justin Duncan has announced the program's competition schedule for the 2026 season.

The fall slate begins Friday, Sept. 11 with the Tennessee Cross Country Invitational, taking place at the Cherokee Farms Cross Country Course along the banks of the Tennessee River.

The complete 2026 Tennessee cross country schedule can be viewed online HERE.

After the home meet, Tennessee will get a preview of the SEC Championship course when it travels to Columbia, Missouri, for the Gans Creek Classic on Friday, Sept. 25. Two weeks later, UT will round out the regular season in Madison, Wisconsin, at the Nuttycombe Invitational on Oct. 9.

Postseason action begins Friday, Oct. 30 when the Big Orange returns to Columbia for the 2026 SEC Cross Country Championships. The Vols and Lady Vols will then trek to Tallahassee, Florida, for the NCAA South Region Championships on Friday, Nov. 13.

Team and individual national qualifiers for the NCAA Cross Country Championships will converge in Terre Haute, Indiana, on Saturday, Nov. 21, to wrap up the 2026 cross country season.

Duncan enters his third year at the helm of Tennessee cross country. The 2025 season marked steady progress for the program, highlighted by a standout freshman campaign from Mary Nyaboke Ogwoka. The Lady Vols placed seventh at the SEC Championships before securing a runner-up finish at the NCAA South Region Championships, earning a trip to the NCAA Championships for the third straight year. Ogwoka proved to be the team's catalyst throughout the postseason, collecting All-SEC and All-Region honors before finishing 24th at nationals to become Tennessee's first cross country All-American on the women's side since 2015. Three additional Lady Vols—Andie-Marie Jones, Jaci Sievers and Nia Clatworthy—also earned All-Region accolades.

On the men's side, a developing Tennessee squad finished ninth at the SEC Championships and fourth at the NCAA South Region meet. Sophomore Zouhair Redouane and freshman Ty Steorts picked up All-Region honors, with Redouane advancing individually to the NCAA Championships. He closed the year with a 78th-place finish in the national 10k, rounding out a season defined by growth and key individual performances.

2026 Tennessee Cross Country Schedule
Friday, Sept. 11 – Tennessee Cross Country Invitational (Knoxville)
Friday, Sept. 25 – Gans Creek Classic (Columbia, Mo.)
Friday, Oct. 9 – Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational (Madison, Wis.)
Friday, Oct. 30 – SEC Championships (Columbia, Mo.)
Friday, Nov. 13 – NCAA South Region Championships (Tallahassee, Fla.)
Saturday, Nov. 21 – NCAA Championships (Terre Haute, Ind.)