Top Indoor Track and Field Meets to Watch in 2026

NCAA indoor track and field season

The 2026 NCAA indoor track and field season has started and an exciting schedule of events is in store. You won’t want to miss these meetings.

Top indoor track and field meets to watch in 2026

Season openers

Clemson Opener | Dec. 5 | Host: Clemson
HBCU & Ivy Challenge | Dec. 5 | Host: Harvard
Sharon Colvear-Danville Season Opener | Dec. 6 | Host: Boston U
The McFerrin Invitational | Dec. 6 | Host: Texas A&M
JDL Early Bird Invitational | Dec. 6 | Host: Wake Forest
Winter Commodore Challenge | Dec. 6 | Host: Vanderbilt
Husker Holiday Open | Dec. 12 | Host: Nebraska

The first weekend of December marks the official start of the indoor track season. Although not every student-athlete will start their season this week, many will.

Return from the holidays

Clemson Invitational | Jan. 9-10| Host: Clemson
Rod McCravy Invitational | Jan. 9-10 | Host: Kentucky
Leonard Hilton Memorial Invitational | Jan. 10 | Host: Houston
Gamecock Opener | Jan. 10 | Host: South Carolina
Arkansas Invitational | Jan. 16 | Host: Arkansas
Corky Classic | Jan. 16-17 | Host: Texas Tech
UW Indoor Preview | Jan. 16-17 | Host: Washington
Virginia Tech Invitational | Jan. 16-17 | Host: Virginia Tech

Meets are held in some of the country’s top indoor track and field facilities following the holiday season. At their meets, South Carolina’s two premier schools ought to set quick times. And Rod McCravy always to excite. Arkansas, the potential location of this year’s indoor championships, will hold the Arkansas Invitational in the middle of the month.

Mid-season races

Ted Nelson Invitational | Jan. 23-24 | Host: Texas A&M
Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge | Jan. 23-24 | Host: Columbia
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational | Jan. 23-24 | Host: New Mexico
Razorback Invitational | Jan. 30-31 | Host: Arkansas
New Mexico Team Open | Jan. 30-31| Host: New Mexico
Bob Pollock Invitational | Jan. 30-31 | Host: Clemson
John Thomas Terrier Classic | Jan. 30-Feb. 1| Host: Boston U
DeLoss Doggs Invite | Jan. 30-31 | Host: Kansas State
117th Millrose Games | Feb. 1 | The Armory in NYC
New Mexico Collegiate Classic | Feb. 6-7 | Host: New Mexico
Charlie Thomas Invitational | Feb. 6-7 | Host: Texas A&M
Carolina Classic | Feb. 6-7 | South Carolina

Indoor track teams will be well into the regular season by late January, having long since overcome any rust. Exciting meetings featuring sprinters, distance runners, and other athletes will take place around the nation at the end of January.

Not to be forgotten are the famous Millrose Games that begin February. You must attend the iconic meet at The Armory.

The busiest weekend in indoor track and field

Tyson Invitational | Feb. 13-14 | Host: Arkansas
David Henry Valentine Invitational | Feb. 13-14 | Host: Boston U
Don Kirby Elite Invitational |Feb. 13-14| Host: New Mexico
Jarvis Scott Invitational|Feb. 13-14| Host: Texas Tech
Husky Classic |Feb. 13-14| Host: Washington
Tiger Paw Invitational |Feb. 14-15| Host: Clemson
Music City Challenge | Feb. 14-15 | Host: Vanderbilt

The busiest weekend in indoor collegiate track and field will take place exactly one month before the DI indoor track and field championships. Top-ranked teams and athletes will go head to head. This weekend will be filled with great meets, therefore some teams are splitting up. Expect records to fall around the country.

Last chance meets

Arkansas Qualifier | Feb. 20 | Host: Arkansas
Alex Wilson Invitational | Feb. 20-21 | Host: Notre Dame
Virginia Tech Challenge|Feb. 20-21| Host: Virginia Tech
Terrier DMR Challenge |Feb. 22| Host: Boston U
USC Invite | Feb. 22 | Host: South Carolina

This will be the final regular season weekend of the season, with last-chance meetings taking place across the country. The Terrier DMR Challenge will provide college teams with one final opportunity to work on their DMR orders, handoffs, and other skills. With conference championships coming up, this will be the final chance for some DMR groups to qualify for nationals, as well as the last weekend for certain individuals to qualify for conference championships.