DALLAS (SMU) – The SMU cross country program announced its 2026 schedule on Friday. The slate consists of four regular-season meets, three meets in the state of Texas and three postseason races.
We're excited about the schedule this year," Head Coach
'A Havahla Haynes said. "It's the most competitive regular season slate we've assembled in the last five years, and every meet serves a purpose in preparing us for championship racing. Competing on both the NCAA Championship and NCAA Regional courses before the postseason gives our student-athletes valuable experience and confidence as we work toward our goals in November. This is a young team that's embraced the process, continues to improve every day and is eager to compete."
SMU will begin the 2026 season just down the road in Fort Worth at the John McKenzie Invitational on Friday, Sept. 4. The Mustangs will head down to College Station to compete at the Texas A&M Invitational on Friday, Sept. 11, and will look for a repeat performance of last season, where the team placed second out of 14 schools.
The Mustangs will then travel north of the Red River to compete at Oklahoma State's Cowboy Jamboree in Stillwater on Saturday, Sept. 26. SMU placed fifth overall out of 19 teams at last season's meet.
SMU closes out the regular season with a trip to Terre Haute, Indiana, to run at Indiana State's Pre-Nationals Invitational on Friday, Oct. 16. This meet will give the runners a chance to get a feel for the course as Indiana State will host the 2026 NCAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 21.
The 2026 ACC Cross Country Championships will be held in Blacksburg, Virginia, at Virginia Tech's Buford Meredith Cross Country Course on Friday, Oct. 30. The field will be comprised of six teams that competed at last season's NCAA Championships and three that finished inside the top 10.
The Mustangs' path to the NCAA Championship will go through College Station, as the 2026 NCAA South Central Regional Championship is slated for Friday, Nov. 13. SMU finished fifth overall at the meet last season, as returning Mustangs
Rose Mburu and
Carolina Correia earned All-Region honors.
Mubru placed sixth overall at regionals last year and became the first Mustang to compete at the NCAA Championships since 2018. The then-freshman placed 62
nd overall, the highest placement by a Mustang at the Championship since 2011.
2026 SMU CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE
Friday, September 4, 2026
TCU John McKenzie Invitational
Fort Worth, TX
AP Ranch Championship Cross Country Course
Friday, September 11, 2026
Texas A&M Invitational
College Station, TX
Watts Cross Country Course
Saturday, September 26, 2026
Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree
Stillwater, OK
Greiner Family Cross Country Course
Friday, October 16, 2026
Pre-National Invitational @ Indiana State
Terre Haute, IN
LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course
Friday, October 30, 2026
ACC Championship hosts @ Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Buford Meredith Cross Country Course
Friday, November 13, 2026
NCAA South Central Regional Championship @ Texas A&M
College Station, TX
Watts Cross Country Course
Saturday, November 21, 2026
NCAA Championship @ Indiana State
Terre Haute, IN
LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course
