California: fall 2026 tryout and season start dates
Every date below comes from CIF Southern Section publications, named and linked under each table. Nothing here is estimated - a date we could not verify is not on this page.
California sets dates section by section. These are CIF Southern Section dates - the state's largest section. Other sections publish their own calendars.
Football
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Week 0: first practice | Jul 27, 2026 |
| Week 0: first contest | Aug 21, 2026 |
| Week 1: first practice | Aug 3, 2026 |
| Week 1: first contest | Aug 28, 2026 |
Source: CIF-SS 2026-27 sports calendar.
Girls Volleyball
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| First practice | No section-mandated date |
| First contest | Aug 8, 2026 |
Source: CIF-SS 2026-27 sports calendar.
Club volleyball tryouts - Northern California (NCVA region)
| Window | Date |
|---|---|
| Girls 15s-18s first tryout day | Jul 24, 2026 (signing Jul 29) |
| Girls 11s-14s first tryout day | Oct 9, 2026 (signing Oct 14) |
| Boys first tryout day | Aug 7, 2026 |
Source: NCVA official tryout dates.
How to verify your local tryout
Ask the athletic director. School tryout dates live with the school, not the state - the association sets the first day anything is allowed to happen, and your school picks its days after that.
Check the association calendar. The source links above are the association's own publications - if a date on this page ever disagrees with the association, the association is right and we want to know about it.
For club volleyball, check your region. USA Volleyball regions publish binding tryout and signing dates for club seasons - your region's site is the authority.
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