Sports
Lions announce 2025-26 Track and Field Schedule
COMMERCE – East Texas A&M University has released the 2025-26 track and field schedule on Thursday morning, the first season for the Lions as full members of NCAA Division I.
The Lions are slated to take part in four indoor meets before the Southland Conference Championships and then take part in the NCAA Indoor Championships for the first time in the Division I era. The outdoor season sees the Lions participate in six meets prior to the postseason, which includes the SLC Championships, the NCAA West Regional Championships, and the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
The first meet of the year comes on January 16 at the Owen Hewett Invitational in Norman, Oklahoma, hosted by Oklahoma. The next two meets for the Lions are in College Station with the Ted Nelson Invitational on January 23-24 and then Charlie Thomas Invitational on February 6-7.
The final meet before the conference championships during the indoor portion of the schedule is the Arkansas Qualifier in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on February 25.
The Southland Indoor Championships return to Birmingham, Alabama, on February 25-26. The top qualifiers around the country will advance to the NCAA Indoor Championships, which take place on March 13-14 in Fayetteville.
The Lions begin the outdoor season on March 20-21 at the TCU Alumni Invite in Fort Worth. The annual trip down I-35 is next as the Texas Relays take place in Austin on April 1-4 and the Bobcat Invitational is held in San Marcos on April 2-4.
Another trip down to College Station is next for the 44 Farms Team Invitational on April 9-11, followed by the J. Fred Duckett Twilight on April 25 in Houston, and the final regular season outdoor meet comes on May 8 at the Arkansas Twilight in Fayetteville.
The Southland Outdoor Championships are hosted by SFA in Nacogdoches this year on May 14-16.
Top qualifiers in the western half of the country following the conference championships will advance to the NCAA West Regional Championships in Fayetteville on May 27-30, with the best performers punching their tickets to the NCAA Outdoor Championships held at the historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, on June 10-13.
2025-26 LION TRACK & FIELD SCHEDULE
| DATE | MEET | LOCATION | HOST INSTITUTION |
| Jan. 16 | Owen Hewett Invitational | Norman, Okla. | Oklahoma |
| Jan. 23-24 | Ted Nelson Invitational | College Station | Texas A&M |
| Feb. 6-7 | Charlie Thomas Invitational | College Station | Texas A&M |
| Feb. 20 | Arkansas Qualifier | Fayetteville, Ark. | Arkansas |
| Feb. 25-26 | SLC Indoor Championships | Birmingham, Ala. | Southland Conference |
| March 13-14 | NCAA Indoor Championships | Fayetteville, Ark. | NCAA |
| March 20-21 | TCU Alumni Invite | Fort Worth | TCU |
| April 1-4 | Texas Relays | Austin | Texas |
| April 2-4 | Bobcat Invitational | San Marcos | Texas State |
| April 9-11 | 44 Farms Team Invitational | College Station | Texas A&M |
| April 25 | J. Fred Duckett Twilight | Houston | Rice |
| May 8 | Arkansas Twilight | Fayetteville, Ark. | Arkansas |
| May 14-16 | SLC Outdoor Championships | Nacogdoches | Southland Conference |
| May 27-30 | NCAA West Regional Championships | Fayetteville, Ark. | NCAA |
| June 10-13 | NCAA Outdoor Championships | Eugene, Ore. | NCAA |
-ETAMU-