The 2027 Outdoor Meet of Champions will move back to a familiar place next year, and several changes have been made for the 2026 Sectional and Group Championships next month, NJSIAA Track and Field Tournament Director Al Stumpf announced on Monday.
Stumpf said that the Outdoor Meet of Champions, which will be held at Pennsauken High for the third straight year on June 3, will move back to Franklin High School in Somerset County in 2027. Franklin hosted the Meet of Champions in 2022 and '23. Stumpf said the sites for the Meet of Champions beyond 2027 have yet to be determined, but he's aiming for a 2-year cycle
As for this season, Stumpf said there are site changes at both the sectional and group levels.
The changes regarding the sectional championships are in South and Central Jersey.
In Central Jersey, the merging of Jackson Memorial and Jackson Liberty into Jackson Township High has bumped Jackson up to a Group 4 school, so it can no longer host the Groups 2-3 meet. Middletown North is the new site for Central Jersey, Groups 2-3.
In South Jersey, the Groups 1-4 Championships will take place over three days at Lenape and Haddon Township. All triple jump competitins will be held on Wednesday, May 13th. The boys and girls Group 4 triple jumps will be held at Lenape, while the boys and girls Group 1 triple jumps will take place at Haddon Township. All other events will be held at Lenape on Friday and Saturday, May 15-16.
The biggest site changes involve the Group Championships. The Non-Public A and B Championships have moved to Buena High School, while the Groups 2-3 Championships have shifted to Northern Burlington, which hosted the Meet of Champions in 2017, '18, and '19.
Stumpf said the Non-Public A and B Championships will return to Stockton University next year. It was unavailable this season because it's being used as a training site for the teams playing in the World Cup.
Here's a quick look at the entire NJSIAA 2026 tournament dates and sites.
NJSIAA SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR 2026
NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 1
- Groups 1 & 4 - May 15 and 16, 2026 - Livingston High School
- Groups 2 & 3 - May 15 and 16, 2026 - Vernon High School
NORTH JERSEY, SECTION 2
- Groups 1 & 4 - May 15 and 16 - Ridge High School
- Groups 2 & 3 - May 15 and 16 - Warren Hills High School
CENTRAL JERSEY
- Groups 1 & 4 - May 15 and 16- Hillsborough High School
- Groups 2 & 3 - May 15 and 16 - Middletown North High School
SOUTH JERSEY
- Groups 1 & 4 - May 13 (Group 4 triple jumps at Lenape HS) / May 13 (Group 1 triple jumps at Haddon Twp) / Rest of meet May 15-16 at Lenape HS
- Groups 2 & 3 - May 15-16 - Delsea High School
GROUP CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR 2026
- Groups 1 & 4 - May 29 & 30 - Franklin High School
- Groups 2 & 3 - May 29 & 30 - Northern Burlington High School
- Non-Public A & B - May 29 & 30 - Buena High School
MEET OF CHAMPIONS FOR 2026
- June 3 - Pennsauken High School