VPA announces updates to 2026 fall high school championships for multiple sports

The Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA) has announced updates to the 2026 fall high school championship schedule for field hockey, soccer and volleyball in an email sent out on Tuesday, Sept. 15. The main change is that no field hockey or soccer championship games will be hosted at the University of Vermont and instead will be at high schools around the state.

All three field hockey championship games will take place Sunday, Nov. 1, at Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester. Game times are set for 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., with the order of the finals based on travel time of the participating schools.

Counting the 2020 COVID season, this year will mark just the third time the field hockey hockey finals will not be played at UVM’s Moulton Winder Field, which opened in fall 2005.

“Due to the ongoing success of UVM athletics, their field availability this year is not conducive for VPA Championships,” VPA Executive Director Lauren Young said in an email to the Free Press. “Also, in order to be geographically considerate we are trying to have multiple locations for schools and fans.”

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This year there will be soccer championships from Friday, Oct. 30, through Sunday, Nov. 1. South Burlington High School will be hosting the games on Oct. 30 and 31 while Rutland High School hosts a four-game slate on Nov. 1. The VPA will determine who plays where based on geography of the schools who reach the finals.

Game times on Oct. 30 are set for 5 and 7 p.m. while Oct. 31’s slate is set for noon and 2 p.m. The games at Rutland are set for 11 a.m., 1:30, 4:00 and 6:30 p.m.

In the same email, the VPA also announced that all three volleyball championships will be played at St. Michael’s College on Sunday, Nov. 1. Specific game times are still being finalized.

Contact Judith Altneu at jaltneu@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.