While it is technically not official, all signs point to the Northern California Classic returning as a Semifinal competition for the 2026 CrossFit Games season. Last year, the NorCal Classic was a late addition to the Games season. This year it appears they are back.
The 2026 Northern California Classic will be held on May 29-31.
Now there is nothing that officially states that it is part of the Games season. However, there are clues it is.
First, today’s post mentions it as an “in person event”. In 2025, these in-person competitions were called In-Person Qualifying Events.
Second, on Competition Corner (where early registration for the online qualifier is now open) it says that “all penalties will be assessed according to the CF Open rules.”
Sure, NorCal could just use the CrossFit Open rules to simplify things, but more likely it means it is part of the 2026 CrossFit Games season.
Last year the NorCal Classic was the first weekend in June. That last weekend in May hosted four IPQE’s (this year they are just called Semifinals). Syndicate Crown, Torian Pro, Far East Throwdown and the Rebel Renegade Games were all on the final weekend in May 2025.
The question then is, are those competitions returning for 2026? And if so, will they be on the same weekend?
