AZUSA, Calif. – While Azusa Pacific's cross country teams adjust to being part of Division III after fourteen years in the PacWest, coach Jebreh Harris will be bringing them to several familiar competitions this fall as part of a four-meet regular season.

The schedule starts on September 5th at the Coyote Challenge, hosted by Cal State San Bernardino.  This is the regular-season event on the calendar that the Cougars have the longest gap in since their last participation, having most recently run on this course back in 2017.

Two weeks later, on the 19th, the runners will head east again to the UC Riverside Inviational.  The Cougars last ran on a course of the Highlanders' choosing two years ago.  This event will be one of two opportunities for the Cougars to test their mettle against Division I runners.

As the calendar flips to October, Azusa Pacific will compete on three consecutive Saturdays.  On the 3rd, they will head north to visit an old NAIA rival as part of The Master's Invitational.  The Cougars and host Mustangs were rivals in the Golden State Athletic Conference for over two decades before the Cougars joined the NCAA in 2012.

The following weekend, Azusa Pacific will visit a new conference foe, competing in the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational in Claremont for the second-straight year.  The Cougars are in their first season as a member of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, but will not be eligible to compete in the conference championship until the transition process is complete in 2028.

One week after that, on Saturday the 17th, the regular season schedule draw to a close with the Cougars' second visit of the season to Riverside to run in the Highlander Invitational.

The Cougars' performance in those four regular-season meets will hopefully earn them a spot at the NCCAA championships, which will be held on November 13th in Joplin, Missouri.  The last time the Cougars competed at the NCCAAs in 2013, the men won the national title, while the women finished second.

2026 Azusa Pacific Cross Country Schedule

September 5 -- Coyote Challenge -- San Bernardino, CA -- 8:45 a.m.
September 19 -- UC Riverside Invitational -- Riverside, CA -- 8:55 a.m.
October 3 -- The Master's Invitational -- Santa Clarita, CA -- 8:00 a.m.
October 10 -- Pomona-Pitzer Invitational -- Claremont, CA -- 7:45 a.m.
October 17 -- Highlander Invitational -- Riverside, CA -- 8:00 a.m.
November 13 -- NCCAA Nationals -- Joplin, MO -- TBA