Wisconsin announces 2026 cross country schedule
July 29, 2026 | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
The Badgers will host three meets at home
MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin has officially released the schedule for the men's and women's 2026 cross country campaign, which includes three home meets at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course.
UW will open its season on Friday, September 4 with the Badger Classic, its first home meet. The women will compete in a 6K at 10 a.m. with the men's 8K race to follow at 10:45 a.m.
Next, Wisconsin will head to Terre Haute, Indiana, for the John McNichols Invitational on Saturday, September 19 for a preview of the NCAA Cross Country Championships course.
Continuing their campaign, Wisconsin will head to Chicago for the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational on Friday, September 25.
The Badgers will return home for the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational presented by Under Armour, on October 9 at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course. This year, the field will include five of the top-10 teams from the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships for the men, and eight for the women.
As the postseason begins, Wisconsin will be back home for the second week in a row to host the Big Ten Championships on October 30 at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course. The last time UW hosted Big Tens was in 2023 when the men won the team title and Bob Liking won his third individual title.
Next, the Badgers will head to East Lansing, Michigan, for the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on November 13. The top-two teams at the meet automatically qualify for the national championships.
Finally, Wisconsin will wrap up the season in Terre Haute, Indiana, for the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday, November 21. Both the UW men's and women's teams competed at last year's NCAA championship as the UW men finished 19th and the UW women were 26th.
