WILLIAMSBURG, KY – The University of the Cumberlands men's and women's cross country teams have announced their 2026 schedule, which features four regular-season meets before the Mid-South Conference and NAIA Championships.
 
"We are excited to conduct what we feel will be a challenging and rewarding meet schedule this fall," Head Coach Bradley Sowder said. "We have planned several important stops along the way to integrate great competition and experiences."
 
Cumberlands opens the season at the IWU Twilight Invitational on Friday, Sept. 4, in Marion, Indiana where they will take on high-level NAIA competition, including the men's defending national champs in IWU. The Patriots will then travel south for the Southern Showcase on Sept. 18 in Jacksonville, Alabama.
 
UC begins October with a trip to Louisville, Kentucky, for The Great Louisville Classic on Saturday, Oct. 3. The meet provides another opportunity for the Patriots to compete against a strong field as the postseason approaches.
 
The regular season concludes at the NAIA Appalachian Challenge on Friday, Oct. 23, in Knoxville, Tennessee. The meet is expected to feature another deep group of NAIA programs after the UC men won last year's competition and the women recorded a runner-up finish.
 
Postseason action begins on Nov. 6 when the Patriots travel to Bowling Green, Kentucky, for the Mid-South Conference Championships. The women will look to capture their seventh consecutive conference title, while the men enter the meet in search of their fourth straight MSC championship.
 
The season culminates at the NAIA National Championships on Friday, Nov. 20, in Vancouver, Washington. Cumberlands men have placed third at the national championships in each of the past three seasons, while the women enter the year after finishing 13th nationally in 2025.
 
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