School sports in Palo Alto

High school sports in Palo Alto revolve around two public schools: Palo Alto High School, whose teams are the Vikings, plus Henry M. Gunn High School, home of the Titans. Each fields more than 20 teams across three seasons. Below them, middle schoolers play in an after-school program run by the city. This page explains how the leagues work, how students join a team and where families and fans can find schedules.

We do not name student athletes or rank teams. Details come from the schools' athletics sites and district pages as they read in early November 2026. For each school's history, see our guides to Palo Alto High School and Gunn High School.

Leagues and the Central Coast Section

California high school sports are governed by the California Interscholastic Federation, or CIF, which is split into regional sections. Paly and Gunn are in the Central Coast Section, which covers schools from San Mateo County south to Monterey County. Within the section, both schools compete in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, or SCVAL, alongside other public high schools in the South Bay. The league is split into divisions by competitive level. Teams can move between divisions over time.

Football works differently

Since the 2022 season, SCVAL schools play football in a combined league with the Peninsula Athletic League of San Mateo County. A committee places teams in divisions based on strength rather than geography alone. That is why Paly's 2026 schedule includes San Mateo County opponents such as Woodside High School. The divisions are reset each year.

Playoffs

Teams that qualify move on to CCS championships and, in some sports, to CIF Northern California and state events. Paly's schedule lists the 2026 CCS cross country championships on November 14. Gunn's athletics site lists league awards and champions after each season, such as its boys golf team's 2026 league title.

Seasons and sports

Gunn's join-a-team page lays out the three seasons and the sports in each. Paly offers a similar list.

Paly's athletics site also lists field hockey among its sports. Winter sports began on Monday, November 2, 2026, according to Gunn's athletics site. The first winter games follow in late November.

Several teams have no fixed roster limit. Gunn marks cross country, track and field, badminton and swimming and diving as uncapped, which means the coach sets roster size based on facilities, performance standards and coaching staff. In other sports, tryouts decide who makes the team.

Varsity and junior varsity

Many sports field both a varsity team and a junior varsity team. On game days the lower level usually plays first. Paly's football schedule for November 6, 2026, for example, lists the JV game at 4 p.m. and the varsity game at 7 p.m. against the same opponent. Families following a younger player should look for the JV listing on the schedule pages, since it can differ from the varsity time and place.

How to join a team

The steps Gunn publishes are typical of both schools:

1. Choose a sport. Students can play all year but only one sport per season.
2. Contact the coach. Varsity coaches are listed on each athletics site and often run open gyms or preseason sessions.
3. Get a physical. Bring the school's physical form to a medical appointment. Physicals are valid for one year from the exam date. Gunn recommends scheduling between June and August so one physical covers fall, winter and spring. If a physical expires mid-season, the student must get a new one before returning.
4. Register for clearance. Clearance is completed online through the Home Campus system linked from each athletics site. Students can register for several sports at once.
5. Wait for the clearance email. The athletic trainer clears each student electronically. Coaches may only let cleared students practice or play.

Students who need help finding a physical can use the list of local options on Gunn's site. Our guide to finding a doctor in Palo Alto may help new families.

Gunn's forms page also includes a non-district transportation waiver for rides to events that are not on district transportation and an in-season progress check form. Read the forms list before the season starts so nothing holds up clearance.

Middle College students

Students at Palo Alto Middle College, the district's high school on the Foothill College campus, can play for Paly or Gunn based on where they live, as long as practices and games do not conflict with their classes.

Schedules, tickets and streams

• Paly: palyathletics.com has a composite calendar for every team, results and a full schedule page.
• Gunn: gunnathletics.com has schedules and results, a calendar you can sync to your phone, news and league awards.
• Tickets: Gunn's site links to GoFan for digital tickets to events that charge admission.
• Streams: Gunn's site links to the NFHS Network, which streams some games.

Times change often, especially for playoffs and weather delays, so check the school site on game day. Parking at both campuses fills fast for football and the Paly and Gunn rivalry games, which draw the biggest crowds of the year. Biking is the easy way in for local families. See our bike boulevards guide for routes.

Middle school sports

PAUSD's three middle schools do not run their own interscholastic teams. Instead, the after-school Middle School Athletics program, known as MSA, is run by the City of Palo Alto. The JLS school site says the program is open to all students in grades 6 to 8. Teams practice and play after school, with seasons through the year.

For details, the schools list the MSA coordinator at 650-329-2400 and point families to the city's Enjoy! catalog for registration. Our middle schools guide and after-school programs guide cover the options.

Title IX, safety and support

Both high schools post Title IX information on their athletics sites. Gunn also posts state-required athletics data on a page titled Senate Bill 1349. The district's middle school pages link to a Title IX report covering all secondary schools.

At Gunn the athletic trainer handles clearance and the sports medicine program publishes a handbook for athletes and families. Paly and Gunn both offer a sports medicine class with a Foothill College dual enrollment option, which is covered in our high school courses guide.

Boosters and volunteering

Parent booster groups raise money for equipment, travel and coaching beyond what the district funds. Gunn's athletics site links to the Gunn Sports Boosters and to team donation pages. Paly lists its booster groups on its school site. Parent volunteers also help at games and events through the year.

Frequently asked questions