With August now upon us, though with several weeks of summer remaining, the countdown to the new school term is fast approaching.

And with that, the 2026-27 Rhode Island Interscholastic League sporting schedule is just a few days away really from beginning, when some teams from Mt. Hope High School will have to make new acquaintances among their competitors or outright get ready for a whole different set of colleagues as part of the two-year realignment structure.

The official start of the 2026 fall season takes place on Monday, Aug. 17, for all of the Husky clubs. Most teams, except football, can begin playing games on August 27. League action commences the week of Monday, Aug. 31.

Football
The itinerary for the MHHS squad, runners-up to Classical for the 2025 Division 3 title, is a bit different from their fall brethren. The gridiron Huskies begin practice on August 17, then can couple with other programs for the same on August 25. Scrimmages can be held on August 28 with actual games starting on Thursday, Sept. 3.

Mt. Hope remains in a slightly revised, 12-team Division 3 (up from 11 teams a year ago) with Chariho, Cranston East, East Greenwich, Lincoln, North Providence, Pilgrim and Rogers

Reigning champ Classical, which defeated the Huskies for the 2025 league crown, along with Ponaganset, Coventry and Johnston move up to D-2. In their place Mt. Pleasant/T2, Moses Brown and Middletown drop down from D-2 while 2025 D-4 runner-up Davies ascends from D-4.

The Huskies' first scrimmage, the program's annual "Tailgate" fundraiser, will be held at Veterans Field in Warren on Friday, Aug. 28. Mt. Hope's initial counting game is also at Vets Field Saturday, Sept. 12, against Bristol-Plymouth Regional from Massachusetts. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.

There remains a chance new RIIL-approved lighting could be installed at the field, located behind Kickemuit Middle School off Child Street, in time for the fall season. If that happens, morning and afternoon games scheduled for MHHS there could be moved to the evening.

Girls' soccer
Mt. Hope continues to be one of the top programs in the state and stay in its top tier, Division 1, which has grown from 13 to 15 teams in time for 2026.

The Huskies along with Cumberland, LaSalle, North Kingstown, Chariho, Cranston West, Lincoln, East Greenwich, Barrington, South Kingstown, Smithfield and Portsmouth are the holdovers. Reigning D-2 champ Prout along with East Providence and Moses Brown move up with winless Pilgrim dropping down a league.

Mt. Hope remains a team without a true home field because of the ongoing construction of the new building. The Huskies will once again utilize Roger Williams University facilities this fall, including for their regular season opener Friday afternoon, Aug. 28, against Portsmouth at 3:45 p.m.

Boys' soccer
The Huskies have enjoyed two very productive seasons in Division 2, where they still reside for 2026, though with an additional team to make the league ranks grow from 15 to 16 teams.

North Providence, Coventry, Pilgrim, Central Falls, Tiverton, Smithfield , Scituate , Westerly, St. Raphael, West Warwick, Hope and Mt. Hope have stayed put. Classical and Central come down from D-1 with Narragansett and Cranston East up from D-3.

East Greenwich and Lincoln depart for D-1 while Woonsocket has dropped to D-3.

Mt. Hope's initial league encounter is a road date against Pilgrim Wednesday night, Sept. 2, at 7 o'clock at the Johnson & Wales University in Providence. The Huskies' first home match is two days late, Friday, Sept. 4, at RWU against Narragansett. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.

Girls' tennis
No MHHS program needed a new vista more than the girls' tennis team, which after two seasons faced with the arduous task of attempting to rebuild in D-1, have moved down to a more appropriate setting in D-2.

The amount of teams in the league, 13, remains the same, but there's a host of different schools.

The bottom four teams in D-1 from a year ago — Mt. Hope, Portsmouth, Smithfield and Ponaganset — dropped down. The reigning D-2 champs Prout as well as 2025 runner-up East Providence and Westerly rise to D-1.

Also, Tiverton and PCD/SRA co-op are up from D-3 with Woonsocket, Cranston East and Pilgrim down in their places.

The D-2 programs who stayed include Lincoln School, Rogers, North Providence , Smithfield, Lincoln, Middletown, North Smithfield and Cumberland.

The Huskies open the new season by hosting Portsmouth on Friday, Aug. 28, at the RWU courts starting at 5:30 p.m.

Girls' volleyball
Success has its spoils, and for the MHHS girls' volleyball team, which has been one of the preeminent sides in D-2 the last several seasons, that means elevation to Division 1 this fall.

The state's top grouping expands to 15 teams from 12 with the addition of the Huskies, Barrington, Cumberland and Westerly from D-2.

The hold-overs include North Kingstown, LaSalle, Portsmouth, East Providence, Coventry, South Kingstown, Chariho, Classical, Prout, Cranston West and East Greenwich. The lone departure sees Cranston East move down to D-2.

The Huskies began their 2026 slate with a neutral side game Friday evening, Aug. 28, against Portsmouth at RWU beginning at 6:30 p.m. Their first game on campus is Tuesday, Sept. 8, versus Cranston West at 6 p.m.

Cross country
The only programs not affected by realignment this fall are the MHHS cross country squads, who remain in the Metropolitan Division ranks and which is based on location rather than a school's enrollment or record in competition.

The Huskies travel to Slater Park in Pawtucket for their 2026 opener on Monday, Sept. 14, against host Tolman and LaSalle. Mt. Hope's first home meet at Bristol Town Beach in Colt State Park is Monday, Sept. 28, against Barrington and Moses Brown.