University of Tennessee Athletics
Ross Announces 2026-27 Track & Field Competition Schedule
October 02, 2026 | Track & Field
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee head coach and director of track & field Duane Ross has unveiled the program's competition schedule for the 2026-27 indoor and outdoor seasons. The indoor slate features 14 meets from December through March, while the outdoor schedule includes nine meets from March through June, highlighted by one home competition at Tom Black Track.
To view the complete 2026-27 schedule, click here.
INDOOR SEASON
The Tennessee distance squad will open the campaign Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4-5, sending athletes fresh off the cross country season to Boston for the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener.
Action picks up in January with six meets, beginning Jan. 8-9 at the Rod McCravy Memorial Invitational in Louisville, Kentucky. The remaining January meets include the Virginia Tech Invitational (Jan. 15-16), Orange and Purple Invite (Jan. 22-23), Vanderbilt Invitational (Jan. 22-23), PNC Lenny Lyles Open (Jan. 29-30) and Bob Pollock Invitational (Jan. 29-30).
Tennessee will close out the regular indoor season in February with five meets across three weekends. The squad will split up Feb. 5-6 for the New Mexico Collegiate Classic and Doc Hale VT Meet. The following weekend, the Vols and Lady Vols will compete at the Tiger Paw Invitational and David Hemery Valentine Invitational, both scheduled for Feb. 12-13. Tennessee will wrap up the regular season with its third trip to Blacksburg, Virginia, for the Virginia Tech Challenge on Feb. 20.
Postseason competition begins at the SEC Indoor Championships, hosted by the University of Arkansas Feb. 25-27 at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
National championship qualifiers will return to Fayetteville for the NCAA Indoor Championships, scheduled for March 12-13.
OUTDOOR SEASON
The Big Orange will transition to the outdoor season two weeks after the indoor national championships, as the Tennessee distance squad returns to Raleigh, North Carolina, for the Raleigh Relays, set for March 25-27 at NC State.
The first weekend of April, Tennessee will send a contingent of Vols and Lady Vols to Gainesville, Florida, for the Pepsi Florida Relays (April 2-3). UT will return home April 9-10 for its lone home meet of the season, the Tennessee Invitational at Tom Black Track in Knoxville.
Tennessee is slated to return to Gainesville for the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational (April 17-18) while sending a group of distance specialists to the Wake Forest Invitational that same weekend. The Big Orange will close out April and the outdoor regular season Friday, April 30, at the Jim Green Invitational in Lexington, Kentucky.
The postseason begins May 13-15 in Athens, Georgia, with the SEC Outdoor Championships. Regional qualifiers will then travel to Jacksonville, Florida, for the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds, scheduled for May 26-29 and hosted by the University of North Florida.
The 2027 collegiate outdoor season will conclude at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, where the NCAA Outdoor Championships are scheduled for Wednesday through Saturday, June 9-12.
The 2026-27 season will mark Ross' fifth year at the helm of the Tennessee program. Last season, the Vols and Lady Vols combined for 50 All-America honors, 13 SEC medals and 17 school records across the indoor and outdoor campaigns. The Big Orange capped the year with its best combined finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in more than three decades, as the Vols placed third and the Lady Vols finished 11th nationally.
To view the complete 2026-27 schedule, click here.
INDOOR SEASON
The Tennessee distance squad will open the campaign Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4-5, sending athletes fresh off the cross country season to Boston for the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener.
Action picks up in January with six meets, beginning Jan. 8-9 at the Rod McCravy Memorial Invitational in Louisville, Kentucky. The remaining January meets include the Virginia Tech Invitational (Jan. 15-16), Orange and Purple Invite (Jan. 22-23), Vanderbilt Invitational (Jan. 22-23), PNC Lenny Lyles Open (Jan. 29-30) and Bob Pollock Invitational (Jan. 29-30).
Tennessee will close out the regular indoor season in February with five meets across three weekends. The squad will split up Feb. 5-6 for the New Mexico Collegiate Classic and Doc Hale VT Meet. The following weekend, the Vols and Lady Vols will compete at the Tiger Paw Invitational and David Hemery Valentine Invitational, both scheduled for Feb. 12-13. Tennessee will wrap up the regular season with its third trip to Blacksburg, Virginia, for the Virginia Tech Challenge on Feb. 20.
Postseason competition begins at the SEC Indoor Championships, hosted by the University of Arkansas Feb. 25-27 at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
National championship qualifiers will return to Fayetteville for the NCAA Indoor Championships, scheduled for March 12-13.
OUTDOOR SEASON
The Big Orange will transition to the outdoor season two weeks after the indoor national championships, as the Tennessee distance squad returns to Raleigh, North Carolina, for the Raleigh Relays, set for March 25-27 at NC State.
The first weekend of April, Tennessee will send a contingent of Vols and Lady Vols to Gainesville, Florida, for the Pepsi Florida Relays (April 2-3). UT will return home April 9-10 for its lone home meet of the season, the Tennessee Invitational at Tom Black Track in Knoxville.
Tennessee is slated to return to Gainesville for the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational (April 17-18) while sending a group of distance specialists to the Wake Forest Invitational that same weekend. The Big Orange will close out April and the outdoor regular season Friday, April 30, at the Jim Green Invitational in Lexington, Kentucky.
The postseason begins May 13-15 in Athens, Georgia, with the SEC Outdoor Championships. Regional qualifiers will then travel to Jacksonville, Florida, for the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds, scheduled for May 26-29 and hosted by the University of North Florida.
The 2027 collegiate outdoor season will conclude at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, where the NCAA Outdoor Championships are scheduled for Wednesday through Saturday, June 9-12.
The 2026-27 season will mark Ross' fifth year at the helm of the Tennessee program. Last season, the Vols and Lady Vols combined for 50 All-America honors, 13 SEC medals and 17 school records across the indoor and outdoor campaigns. The Big Orange capped the year with its best combined finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in more than three decades, as the Vols placed third and the Lady Vols finished 11th nationally.
Tuesday, April 21
Monday, April 13
Monday, April 06
Wednesday, March 18
