Cardinals Release 2026 Outdoor Track & Field Schedule
March 07, 2026 | Track & Field
The Cards have 20 meets on the outdoor schedule, including the 2026 ACC Outdoor Championships, which will be hosted in Louisville on May 14-16.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Louisville Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Joe Franklin has announced the outdoor track & field schedule for the 2026 season.
The Cardinals are set to be represented at a total of 20 meets during the outdoor campaign, including the 2026 ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which will be hosted in Louisville at Owsley B. Frazier Cardinal Park.
After the conclusion of the indoor season at the NCAA Indoor Championships next weekend, the Cardinals will begin the outdoor season on Mar. 20-21 when the squads split between the USF Alumni Invitational in Tampa, Fla. and the Black and Gold Invitational in Orlando, Fla.
The Cardinals will then split between a trio of meets with the majority of the team splitting between the UCF Knights Invite on Mar. 26-27 and Bellarmine's Jim Vargo Invitational on Mar. 28. The Louisville distance squad will also be represented at the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, N.C. over three days on Mar. 26-28.
Louisville will begin the month of April splitting between three meets for the second consecutive week with groups heading to meets in Texas and California.
The Louisville pole vaulters will compete at the 98th edition of the Texas Relays on Apr. 1-4, while the jumpers and multis will compete at Texas State's Bobcat Invitational on Apr. 2-4. The Cards will also be represented at the Stanford Invitational on Apr. 3-4 in Stanford, Calif. by a group of distance runners.
The following weekend, the Louisville throwers will return to Ramona, Okla. for the Oklahoma Throws Series for the second consecutive season with the Cards set to head to Throw Town on Apr. 9-11.
Louisville will then split between five meets in mid-April with the majority of the team heading back out to California while the jumpers will travel to Virginia.
The multis will get the five-meet split started with the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif. on Apr. 15-16, while the Louisville distance runners will compete at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, Calif. on Apr. 16-18. The sprinters, pole vaulters, and throwers are slated to compete at a pair of meets at Long Beach State University over the course of the week with the Pacific Coast Invitational set for Apr. 16 and the Beach Invitational slated for Apr. 17-18. The Louisville jumpers will cap the split week at the Virginia Challenge in Charlottesville, Va. on Apr. 17-18.
Following the five-meet split, the entire team will return to Louisville for their only home meet of the regular season, as the Jim Freeman/Clark Wood Invitational will be staged at Owsley B. Frazier Cardinal Park over three days from Apr. 23-25.
The Cards will cap off the regular season with one final split, as the distance squad will travel back to Stanford, Calif. for the Payton Jordan Invitational on May 1 while the remainder of the team heads to Lexington, Ky. for the Jim Green Invitational on May 1-2.
The Cardinals will begin their postseason on May 14-16 when the ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships come to Louisville for the first time in program history.
After the conclusion of the conference championship meet, qualifying athletes who hold top-48 marks in the region in their respective events will travel back to Lexington for the NCAA East First Round on May 27-30, where they will have the opportunity to qualify for the national championship meet.
Athletes who place in the top 12 in their individual events at the regional meet will punch their tickets to the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which are set to be staged at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Jun. 10-13.
2026 University of Louisville Outdoor Track & Field Schedule
March 20-21
USF Alumni Invitational
Tampa, Fla. | USF Track & Field Stadium
March 20-21
Black and Gold Invitational
Orlando, Fla. | UCF Track & Field Complex
March 26-28
Raleigh Relays
Raleigh, N.C. | Paul Derr Track & Field Facility
March 27-28
UCF Knights Invite
Orlando, Fla. | UCF Track & Field Complex
March 28
Jim Vargo Invitational
Louisville, Ky. | Owsley B. Frazier Stadium
April 1-4
Texas Relays
Austin, Texas | Mike A. Myers Stadium
April 2-4
Bobcat Invitational
San Marcos, Texas | Texas State Track & Field Complex
April 3-4
Stanford Invitational
Stanford, Calif. | Cobb Track & Angell Field
April 9-11
Oklahoma Throws Series
Ramona, Okla. | Millican Field
April 15-16
Mt. SAC Relays
Walnut, Calif. | Hilmer Lodge Stadium
April 16
Pacific Coast Invitational
Long Beach, Calif. | Jack Rose Track
April 16-18
Bryan Clay Invitational
Azusa, Calif. | Cougar Athletic Stadium
April 17-18
Beach Invitational
Long Beach, Calif. | Jack Rose Track
April 17-18
Virginia Challenge
Charlottesville, Va. | Lannigan Field
April 23-25
Jim Freeman/Clark Wood Invitational
Louisville, Ky. | Owsley B. Frazier Cardinal Park
May 1
Payton Jordan Invitational
Stanford, Calif. | Cobb Track & Angell Field
May 1-2
Jim Green Invitational
Lexington, Ky. | University of Kentucky Outdoor Track & Field Facility
May 14-16
ACC Outdoor Championships
Louisville, Ky. | Owsley B. Frazier Cardinal Park
May 27-30
NCAA East First Round
Lexington, Ky. | University of Kentucky Outdoor Track & Field Facility
June 10-13
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Eugene, Ore. | Hayward Field
The Cardinals are set to be represented at a total of 20 meets during the outdoor campaign, including the 2026 ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which will be hosted in Louisville at Owsley B. Frazier Cardinal Park.
After the conclusion of the indoor season at the NCAA Indoor Championships next weekend, the Cardinals will begin the outdoor season on Mar. 20-21 when the squads split between the USF Alumni Invitational in Tampa, Fla. and the Black and Gold Invitational in Orlando, Fla.
The Cardinals will then split between a trio of meets with the majority of the team splitting between the UCF Knights Invite on Mar. 26-27 and Bellarmine's Jim Vargo Invitational on Mar. 28. The Louisville distance squad will also be represented at the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, N.C. over three days on Mar. 26-28.
Louisville will begin the month of April splitting between three meets for the second consecutive week with groups heading to meets in Texas and California.
The Louisville pole vaulters will compete at the 98th edition of the Texas Relays on Apr. 1-4, while the jumpers and multis will compete at Texas State's Bobcat Invitational on Apr. 2-4. The Cards will also be represented at the Stanford Invitational on Apr. 3-4 in Stanford, Calif. by a group of distance runners.
The following weekend, the Louisville throwers will return to Ramona, Okla. for the Oklahoma Throws Series for the second consecutive season with the Cards set to head to Throw Town on Apr. 9-11.
Louisville will then split between five meets in mid-April with the majority of the team heading back out to California while the jumpers will travel to Virginia.
The multis will get the five-meet split started with the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif. on Apr. 15-16, while the Louisville distance runners will compete at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, Calif. on Apr. 16-18. The sprinters, pole vaulters, and throwers are slated to compete at a pair of meets at Long Beach State University over the course of the week with the Pacific Coast Invitational set for Apr. 16 and the Beach Invitational slated for Apr. 17-18. The Louisville jumpers will cap the split week at the Virginia Challenge in Charlottesville, Va. on Apr. 17-18.
Following the five-meet split, the entire team will return to Louisville for their only home meet of the regular season, as the Jim Freeman/Clark Wood Invitational will be staged at Owsley B. Frazier Cardinal Park over three days from Apr. 23-25.
The Cards will cap off the regular season with one final split, as the distance squad will travel back to Stanford, Calif. for the Payton Jordan Invitational on May 1 while the remainder of the team heads to Lexington, Ky. for the Jim Green Invitational on May 1-2.
The Cardinals will begin their postseason on May 14-16 when the ACC Outdoor Track & Field Championships come to Louisville for the first time in program history.
After the conclusion of the conference championship meet, qualifying athletes who hold top-48 marks in the region in their respective events will travel back to Lexington for the NCAA East First Round on May 27-30, where they will have the opportunity to qualify for the national championship meet.
Athletes who place in the top 12 in their individual events at the regional meet will punch their tickets to the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which are set to be staged at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Jun. 10-13.
2026 University of Louisville Outdoor Track & Field Schedule
March 20-21
USF Alumni Invitational
Tampa, Fla. | USF Track & Field Stadium
March 20-21
Black and Gold Invitational
Orlando, Fla. | UCF Track & Field Complex
March 26-28
Raleigh Relays
Raleigh, N.C. | Paul Derr Track & Field Facility
March 27-28
UCF Knights Invite
Orlando, Fla. | UCF Track & Field Complex
March 28
Jim Vargo Invitational
Louisville, Ky. | Owsley B. Frazier Stadium
April 1-4
Texas Relays
Austin, Texas | Mike A. Myers Stadium
April 2-4
Bobcat Invitational
San Marcos, Texas | Texas State Track & Field Complex
April 3-4
Stanford Invitational
Stanford, Calif. | Cobb Track & Angell Field
April 9-11
Oklahoma Throws Series
Ramona, Okla. | Millican Field
April 15-16
Mt. SAC Relays
Walnut, Calif. | Hilmer Lodge Stadium
April 16
Pacific Coast Invitational
Long Beach, Calif. | Jack Rose Track
April 16-18
Bryan Clay Invitational
Azusa, Calif. | Cougar Athletic Stadium
April 17-18
Beach Invitational
Long Beach, Calif. | Jack Rose Track
April 17-18
Virginia Challenge
Charlottesville, Va. | Lannigan Field
April 23-25
Jim Freeman/Clark Wood Invitational
Louisville, Ky. | Owsley B. Frazier Cardinal Park
May 1
Payton Jordan Invitational
Stanford, Calif. | Cobb Track & Angell Field
May 1-2
Jim Green Invitational
Lexington, Ky. | University of Kentucky Outdoor Track & Field Facility
May 14-16
ACC Outdoor Championships
Louisville, Ky. | Owsley B. Frazier Cardinal Park
May 27-30
NCAA East First Round
Lexington, Ky. | University of Kentucky Outdoor Track & Field Facility
June 10-13
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Eugene, Ore. | Hayward Field
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