2025–26 Event Combos Revealed: How the Pieces Fit Together for USA Fencing’s Next Season
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by Bryan Wendell
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — If the USA Fencing national tournament calendar is a giant jigsaw puzzle, then over the spring we handed out the corner pieces by sharing the dates and locations for most events. Today we’re placing the remaining pieces onto the table, announcing which age groups and divisions will fence at each stop.
Snap them together, and the full picture of the 2025–26 season comes into view — just in time for families booking flights, coaches locking in lesson plans, and fencers mapping the path to their next rating bump or national championship appearance.
The Complete 2025–26 Event Combo Lineup
Month & City | Competition | Event Combinations | Hotel Booking Link |
Oct. 3–6, 2025 – Salt Lake City, Utah | October NAC | Division I, Junior, Cadet, Parafencing | |
Nov. 14–17, 2025 – Fort Worth, Texas | November NAC | Division I, Cadet, Y14, Cadet Team | |
Jan. 9–12, 2026 – Kansas City, Mo. | Junior Olympics | Junior, Cadet, Junior Team | |
Feb. 13–16, 2026 – Location TBA | February NAC | Division I, Junior, Veteran Age, Veteran Combined, Veteran Team, Parafencing | TBA |
Mar. 6–9, 2026 – Cleveland, Ohio | March NAC | Y14, Y12, Y10, Division II | |
Apr. 24–27, 2026 – Richmond, Va. | April NAC | Division I, Junior, Junior Team, Veteran Age, Veteran Combined, Parafencing | |
June 27–July 6, 2026 – Portland, Ore. | Summer Nationals & July Challenge | All weapons, all age categories |
Two Super Junior & Cadet Circuit (SJCC) events are slated for January and June 2026. We’ll announce exact dates and cities by Aug. 1, 2025.
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Combos #
Q: What criteria are considered when constructing the event combinations?
A: USA Fencing evaluates several factors, including registration crossover between categories, projected field sizes and how they fit into a balanced schedule, the total number of national events each category receives per season, and potential conflicts with the international calendar. These inputs, along with additional considerations, guide the final event combinations for every tournament.
Q: Why were the Junior Olympics moved to January?
A: Shifting the Junior Olympics to early January eliminates longstanding scheduling conflicts with the international calendar and the January NAC. This change lets top juniors and cadets compete in both events, strengthening each tournament and giving athletes a clearer path through the season.
Q: Is this change just for one season?
A: No. USA Fencing expects the January Junior Olympics slot to remain through at least the 2027–28 season. After the LA28 Games, the overall calendar will be reviewed and adjusted if necessary.
Q: Why was the Cadet event removed from the March NAC?
A: Cadet was replaced by Division II in March to ensure Division II retained a NAC and to address member feedback that a March Cadet event was poorly timed. With four other national Cadet opportunities on the schedule, removing Cadet from March was deemed the best solution.
Q: How will the new Junior Olympics dates affect the age-out calendar for junior and cadet fencers?
A: As usual, age-out occurs immediately after the Junior Olympics. For the 2025–26 season, junior and cadet fencers age out on Jan. 13, 2026; tournaments held after that date will use the new birth-year chart.
Q: How will the new dates affect qualification for the 2026 Junior Olympics?
A: Final points roll-off schedules and replacement events will appear in the Athlete Handbook before the season begins. The qualification cut-off is expected to land in December 2025, giving fencers maximum time to qualify.
Q: By when must Division Qualifiers be held?
A: Division Qualifiers must be completed by the posted qualification deadline. That deadline will be announced in the coming weeks.
Q: When will the dates and locations for the SJCCs be announced?
A: Dates and cities for the 2025–26 Super Junior & Cadet Circuit events will be released no later than Aug. 1, 2025, ahead of the season’s start.
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