The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Pope Announces 2026 Schedule
7/21/2026 11:25:00β―AM | Women's Cross Country
BIRMINGHAM β UAB Cross Country gears up for season four under Head Coach Travis Pope which features four regular season meets for a team that has four upperclassmen returning for the 2026 season.
The Blazers will once again head to Choccolocco Park in Oxford for the Foothills Invitational for the fifth consecutive season. The Green and Gold placed third in the meet last season. The Foothills Invitational, hosted by Jacksonville State, is set to begin the 5K race at 9 a.m.
UAB will also return to Oakville Indian Mounds Park for the Firehawk Invitational in Oakville, AL. The Blazers are the defending champions of the meet, finishing with four runners in the top 10, all of which are returning to the team this season. The meet, hosted by UT Southern, is a 6K race slated to begin at 9:20 a.m.
For the first time since the 2013 season, the Green and Gold will head to South Bend, Indiana for a Notre Dame-hosted meet. This season, the Blazers will compete in the Joe Piane Invitational at Burke Golf Course. The meet, a 5K race on Friday, October 2, will begin at 11 a.m. central.
Two weeks later, UAB will again take part in the Crimson Classic, hosted by Alabama, at Harry Pritchett Running Park in Tuscaloosa. This is the fourth straight season the Blazers will compete in the meet. The women's race will begin at 9:20 a.m.
Tulane will be hosting the 2026 American Conference Cross Country Championships this season in New Orleans. All 13 American Conference teams will head to the Big Easy for the late-October meet. The women's 6K race time has yet to be determined.
NCAA postseason action will kick off in Tallahassee this season on November 13th. The Blazers will join numerous programs across the region to take part in the NCAA South Regional, hosted by Florida State. The women's 6K race will begin at a time to be announced at a later date.
Should any UAB team or individual qualify during the South Regional, they will advance to the NCAA Championships on Nov. 21 in Terre Haute, Indiana.
FOLLOW THE BLAZERS
To keep up with UAB Cross Country, follow @UAB_XC_TF on Instagram and X.
YOUR SUPPORT DRIVES UAB FORWARD
Your generosity ensures that Blazer student-athletes not only compete at the highest level but also thrive academically, with access to the resources and opportunities that help them achieve their goals. We invite you to click here and make a gift and support the Blazer Scholarship Fund today and for more information on ways to show your generosity to UAB through the Blazer Scholarship Fund, capital initiatives, and sport specific giving go to blazerboosters.com or call us at (205) 996-9969.
