COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina is thrilled to release its 2019 track & field schedule. The Gamecocks will take part in 18 meets this season, including three home meets at the program’s new indoor facility and two home competitions at Sheila & Morris Cregger Track.

The 2019 season begins Jan. 11 indoors with the Orange & Purple Elite in Clemson, S.C. and culminates June 5-8 with the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas.

Head coach Curtis Frye’s program will host three indoor meets: the Gamecock Inaugural from Jan. 18-19, the Carolina Challenge from Jan. 31 – Feb. 2 and the USC Indoor Open on Feb. 16. Additional indoor regular-season meets take place Jan. 11 and Feb. 8-9 in Clemson and Jan. 25-26 at the Dr. Sander Invitational in New York City.

The indoor postseason begins Feb. 22-23, as Carolina journeys to Fayetteville, Ark., for the SEC Indoor Championships. The top-16 qualifiers in each event will advance to the NCAA Indoor Championships, to be held March 8-9 in Birmingham, Ala.

Carolina’s outdoor season begins March 15-16 at the Black and Gold Challenge in Orlando, Fla. Additional road trips include the Buccaneer Invitational March 22-23, the Florida Relays March 28-30, and the Spec Towns Invitational April 5-6.

The Gamecocks host single-day outdoor home meets on April 13, when many of the Southeast’s top teams visit for the Gamecock Invitational, and April 20, as Carolina hosts another strong field at the USC Outdoor Open.

Carolina’s championship drive begins April 25-27, as the Gamecocks make their annual pilgrimage to the Penn Relays. This year’s edition is the 125th in the event’s illustrious history, and it will be the final preparation before the 2019 SEC Outdoor Championships, to be held May 9-11 in Fayetteville.

At the conclusion of the conference meet, the top-48 individual qualifiers in each event, along with the top-24 relay teams, will advance to the NCAA East Regional Preliminary Round, to be held May 23-25 in Jacksonville, Fla. The top-12 finishers at regionals qualify for the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships, held June 5-8. This year’s NCAA outdoor meet is the first of two consecutive years in Austin, Texas.

Carolina has already competed once this season, as the squad’s sprinters and hurdlers took part in the Clemson Opener on Dec. 8. The Gamecocks won nine of the events they entered to build momentum heading into the holiday break.