Here's your handy high school sports calendar for 2026-27

[ASFN Admin]

Fall sports are underway for Cumberland County Schools, with football, girls golf, volleyball, girls tennis, cross country and boys soccer matchups populating the calendar through December.

All 10 local NCHSAA programs will be in competition to bring more banners back to Fayetteville this season, and that quest begins this month.

Here's a look at key dates to know for each of the 2026-27 NCHSAA high school sports seasons, divided by sport.

Fall 2026 sports calendar for NCHSAA teams​

FOOTBALL

• First practice — July 29
• First scrimmage — Aug. 7
• Week 1 — Aug. 21 (regular season runs through Oct. 30)
• Playoff seeding — TBD
• First round — Nov. 6
• Second round — Nov. 13
• Third round — Nov. 20
• Fourth round — Nov. 27
• Regionals — Dec. 4
• State Championships — Dec. 10-12

VOLLEYBALL

• First practice — July 29
• First regular-season match — Aug. 10
• Playoff seeding — Oct. 15
• First round — Oct. 17
• Second round — Oct. 20
• Third round — Oct. 22
• Fourth round — Oct. 24
• Regionals — Oct. 27
• State Championships — Oct. 30-31

BOYS SOCCER

• First practice — July 29
• First regular-season match — Aug. 10
• Playoff seeding — Oct. 29
• First round — Nov. 2
• Second round — Nov. 5
• Third round — Nov. 9
• Fourth round — Nov. 12
• Regionals — Nov. 17
• State Championships — Nov. 19-21

GIRLS TENNIS

• First practice — July 29
• First regular-season match — Aug. 10
• Individual Pre-Regionals — Oct. 5
• Dual-team seeding — Oct. 9
• Dual-team first round — Oct. 12
• Dual-team second round — Oct. 14
• Individual Regionals — Oct. 16-17
• Dual-team third round — Oct. 19
• Dual-team fourth round — Oct. 21
• Individual State Championships — Oct. 23-24
• Dual-team Regionals — Oct. 27
• Dual-team State Championships — Oct. 30-31

GIRLS GOLF

• First practice — July 29
• First contest — Aug. 10
• Regionals — Oct. 19-20
• State Championships — Oct. 26-27

CROSS COUNTRY

• First practice — July 29
• First contest — Aug. 10
• Regionals — Oct. 30-31
• State Championships — Nov. 6-7

FLAG FOOTBALL

• First practice — Aug. 31
• First contest — Sept. 9
• Playoff seeding — Oct. 28
• First and second rounds — Oct. 31
• Third and fourth rounds — Nov. 7
• Regionals — Nov. 11
• State Championships — Nov. 14

Winter 2026-27 sports calendar for NCHSAA teams​

BASKETBALL

• First practice — Nov. 2
• First regular-season game — Nov. 11
• Playoff seeding — Feb. 20
• First round — Feb. 23
• Second round — Feb. 25
• Third round — Feb. 27
• Fourth round — March 1
• Regionals — March 3-6
• State Championships — March 10-13

WRESTLING

• First practice — Nov. 2
• First regular-season bout — Nov. 11
• Dual-team seeding — Jan. 28
• Dual-team first and second rounds — Jan. 30
• Dual-team third round and regionals — Feb. 3
• Dual-team State Championships — Feb. 5-6
• Individual Regionals — Feb. 12-13
• Individual State Championships — Feb. 18-19

INDOOR TRACK & FIELD

• First practice — Nov. 2
• First contest — Nov. 11
• State Championships — Feb. 9-12

SWIMMING & DIVING

• First practice — Nov. 2
• First contest — Nov. 11
• Regionals — Jan. 28-30
• State Championships — Feb. 3-6

Spring 2026-27 sports calendar for NCHSAA teams​

BASEBALL

• First practice — Feb. 15
• First regular-season game — March 1
• Playoff seeding — May 10
• First round — May 11
• Second round — May 14
• Third round — May 18
• Fourth round — May 21
• Regionals — May 25
• State Championships — June 2-5

SOFTBALL

• First practice — Feb. 15
• First regular-season game — March 1
• Playoff seeding — May 10
• First round — May 11
• Second round — May 14
• Third round — May 18
• Fourth round — May 21
• Regionals — May 25
• State Championships — June 2-5

GIRLS SOCCER

• First practice — Feb. 15
• First regular-season game — March 1
• Playoff seeding — May 6
• First round — May 10
• Second round — May 13
• Third round — May 17
• Fourth round — May 20
• Regionals — May 25
• State Championships — May 27-29

BASEBALL

• First practice — Feb. 15
• First regular-season game — March 1
• Playoff seeding — May 10
• First round — May 11
• Second round — May 14
• Third round — May 18
• Fourth round — May 21
• Regionals — May 25
• State Championships — June 2-5

TRACK & FIELD

• First practice — Feb. 15
• First contest — March 1
• Regionals — May 7-8
• State Championships —May 12-15

BOYS TENNIS

• First practice — Feb. 15
• First regular-season match — March 1
• Individual Pre-Regionals — April 19
• Dual-team seeding — April 23
• Dual-team first round — April 26
• Dual-team second round — April 28
• Individual Regionals — April 30-May 1
• Dual-team third round —May 3
• Dual-team fourth round — May 5
• Individual State Championships — May 7-8
• Dual-team State Regionals — May 11
• Dual-team State Championships —May 14-15

LACROSSE

• First practice — Feb. 15
• First regular-season match — March 1
• Playoff seeding — May 6
• First round — May 11
• Second round — May 14
• Third round — May 18
• Fourth round — May 21
• Regionals — May 26
• State Championships — May 28-29

BOYS GOLF

• First practice — Feb. 15
• First contest — March 1
• Regionals — May 3-4
• State Championships —May 10-11

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

• First practice — Feb. 15
• First contest — March 1
• Playoff seeding — May 6
• First round — May 8
• Second round — May 11
• Third round — May 13
• Fourth round — May 15
• Regionals — May 18
• State Championships — May 22

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Here's your handy high school sports calendar for 2026-27

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