NCAA Division I softball tournament

Annual softball tournament From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The NCAA Division I softball tournament is held annually in May/June and features 64 college softball teams in the United States, culminating in the Women's College World Series (WCWS), which is played in Oklahoma City.

SportCollege softball
Founded1982
No. of teams64
Most recent
championTexas (1st title)
Quick facts Sport, Founded ...
NCAA Division I softball tournament
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2026 NCAA Division I softball season
SportCollege softball
Founded1982
No. of teams64
Most recent
champion		Texas (1st title)
Most titlesUCLA (12)
BroadcastersESPN
ESPN2
Official websiteNCAA.com
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Tournament play and team selection

The tournament is different from many college tournaments in that it features four tiers of competition and a loss does not necessarily eliminate a team from contention. In fact, throughout the entire tournament a team can lose as many as four games and still be crowned champions.

A total of 64 teams compete in the tournament. 32 teams gain automatic entry into the tournament while the other 32 are selected by the Division I Softball committee. From this field of 64, 16 teams will be given "national seeds" and placed at one of the assigned regional sites, often the home field of each national seed.[1]

The first round of the tournament, called "regionals", consists of 16 locations that include four teams competing in a double elimination bracket. The winner of each regional moves on to the second round, the "super regionals."

For the super regionals, the regional containing overall #1 seed will be matched up with the regional containing the overall #16 seed, the #2 seed regional will be matched up with the #15 seed regional, and so on. The higher seed of the two teams usually hosts the best-of-three series, with the winner moving on to the Women's College World Series.

The final eight teams meet at Devon Park in Oklahoma City in the Women's College World Series. The WCWS is further divided into two sections. The first part resembles the regional round, as teams are broken in two groups of four to play in a double-elimination bracket. The winners of each bracket then meet in a championship series similar to the super regional tier in that it is a best-of-three series. The winner of the WCWS is crowned national champion.

Team titles

NCAA Division I softball tournament is located in the United States
឴឴឵UCLA
឴឴឵UCLA
Arizona
Arizona
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Arizona State
Arizona State
Florida
Florida
Texas
Texas
TexasA&M
Texas
A&M
Alabama
Alabama
Cal State Fullerton
Cal State Fullerton
California
California
FloridaState
Florida
State
FresnoState
Fresno
State
Michigan
Michigan
Washington
Washington
Schools that have won the NCAA Championship
12, 8, 2, 1
More information Team, No. ...
Team No. Years
UCLA 12 1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2019
Arizona 8 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2006, 2007
Oklahoma 2000, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Florida 2 2014, 2015
Arizona State 2008, 2011
Texas A&M 1983, 1987
Texas 1 2025
Florida State 2018
Alabama 2012
Washington 2009
Michigan 2005
California 2002
Fresno State 1998
Cal State Fullerton 1986
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Appearances by team

Total columns

  • School refers to the current name and branding of the softball team.
  • Conference reflects each team's affiliation as of the 2026 season.
  •  #  Total appearances in the NCAA Tournament, not counting vacated appearances.
  •  16  Finished in the top 16 of the tournament: top 2 in a Regional (1982 through 2004) or won a Regional (2005 to present).
  •  WS  Total appearances in the College World Series
  •  CH  National Championships

Table entries

  •  CH  National Champion
  •  RU  National Runner-up
  •  W3   W4   W5   W7  Played in the College World Series with the given placement. All World Series have had 2 teams finish in 5th and two teams finish in 7th. Since 1995, all have had 2 teams finish in 3rd, but before then, some years would have separate 3rd and 4th place teams, depending on how the bracket played out.

Starting in 2003, the NCAA seeded the top 8 teams, which are shown in double underline. Starting in 2005, the next 8 seeds are shown with single underline. These seeded teams are not always the host of the Regional, but in recent years, the list of hosts aligns very closely to the list of top seeds.

More information School, Conference ...
School Conference # 16 WS CH 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 22 23 24 25

UCLABig Ten40353312CHW3CHCHRUCHCHCHRUCHRUW3CHW3RUCHRURUW5CHCHRUW3R3W5SRCHR2R•R2SRW5W7W5W3CHW5W3R•W5W5
ArizonaBig 123835258R2R2W3W3W7CHRUCHCHRUCHCHRUW5W3CHRUW3R3W5CHCHW7W7RUSRSRR3SRSRSRSRSRW5W7W5SRR2
OklahomaSEC3127188R2R2R2R3R2R◦CHW5W7W5W5SRR2SRSRR3SRW7RUCHW5SRCHCHW3RUCHCHCHCHW3
FloridaSEC2516132R•R3R•R◦R◦R•R3SRW3RUW5RUR2W5CHCHSRRUW5W7SRW5R2W3W7
Arizona StateBig 123220122W3R2W7R2R2R2R2R3R3W7R2R3W3R•R3W5W7CHW5SRCHW3W7R2R2R2R3W7R2R3SRR•
Texas A&MSEC351882CHRUR2RUCHW5R3R2R2R•R•R◦R2R2R◦SRR3W7RUR3R2SRR2SRR2R2R2W7SRR•R3R2R2SRR2
WashingtonBig Ten3124151R3R2RUW3W3RUW5R2R3W5W7SRSRW3R2CHW7SRSRW3SRR2SRW3RUW3SRR2W5R3R3
AlabamaSEC2622151R◦W5R3R◦W7R2W5W7SRW3W3SRW3CHSRRUW5W7SRSRW3W3R2W7W5SR
Florida StateACC3724121R2W7R3R3W3W5W7W7R•R2R2R•R2R2W3R◦W5R2SRR•R3R3R3R2R3SRW7SRW3SRCHSRRUR2RUSRSR
CaliforniaACC3624121R2W3R2R2R2R2R2W5R2R3R3W5R2R3W3W7W5CHRURUW7SRR3SRSRSRW5W3R2R3R2R2R3R2R3R2
MichiganBig Ten3021121R2R2W7W7W5W5R◦R2W7W7W7CHSRSRSRW5SRR2SRW5SRRUW5R2R3R2R2R2R2R3
Fresno StateMountain West3419121RUR2W5R2R2W5RURURUW3W3R2W5R2R2W3CHW5R2R◦R•R3R◦R2R2R3R2R2R2R3R•R3R3R3
TexasSEC251281W7R◦R•R•W3W3W5R2R3R2R3R3SRW3R2R3R3R2R3SRSRRUSRRUCH
Cal State FullertonBig West321861W3RUR2W3CHW3R2R2R2R2R2R2R2W5R2R3R◦R2R2R•R2R3SRR•R3R2R2R2R•R3R3R2
Oklahoma StateBig 12271812-W7R2R2W3W3R2R2W4W3R3R2R2W3R3R2R2R3W7R2R2R3W5W5W3W5W7R2
TennesseeSEC23149-R◦R◦R•W3W3RUR2R2W3R2W7RUSRW7R2SRSRSRR3R2W3SRW3
OregonBig Ten25167-W5R3R2R2R3R3R2R2R2R2R2SRSRW5SRW3W7SRW3W5R2R2SRR2W5
NebraskaBig Ten27137-W5W3RUW3W5R3R3R2W5R2R2R3W5R3R2R3R2R•R3R3R2W7SRR3R2R3R2SR
LouisianaSun Belt33196-R2R3R2W3R2W5W5R2R2R•R2R•W7R2R3R2R•W5R2SRR2SRSRW7SRSRR2R2R2R2R2SRR2
MissouriSEC27156-R2W7W5W7R•R•R2R◦R◦R2R2SRW7W7W5SRSRR2SRSRR•R2R2SRR2R3SR
LSUSEC26156-R2R3R2W3R2R◦W3SRSRR2R2R3R2W5R2R2W3W3W5SRSRSRR•R2SRR3
NorthwesternBig Ten23116-W3W5W7R2R3R◦R•SRRUW3SRR•R2R2R•R3R2SRR3W7SRR2R3
GeorgiaSEC23155-R3R•R2SRR2R2SRW3W3SRSRR2SRSRW5R2W7R2W7R2SRSRSR
Long Beach StateBig West2685-W5R2R2R2W5W4W5W7R3R3R3R3R◦R◦R3R•R3R3R3R3R3R3R3R3R•R•
StanfordACC22114-R2R◦R◦W3R3R◦W3SRSRR2SRSRR3SRR2R2R3R2SRW3W3R2
UtahBig 1217104-R2W7R2W7R2W5R•R3R2R◦R◦R2R2SRSRW7R3
Cal Poly PomonaD2884-R2R2W7W4R2R2W3W5
DePaulBig East2174-R•R•R2R2W3W7R3R2R3R◦W7W5R2R2R3R2R3R2R•R•R3
BaylorBig 121674-R3SRR2W5SRW3R3R2W3R2R2W7R2R•R3SR
IowaBig Ten1664-R3R2R3W3W3W5R3R3W7R•R2R◦R2R•R2R•
South CarolinaSEC25103-R2W4R2W7R3R3R2W7R3R3R◦R2R3R◦SRR2R3R3R2R2SRR2R2R2SR
Louisiana TechCUSA1173-W5R2W7W7R2R2R2R•R2R3R3
UMassMAC2163-R2R3R2W3R•R3W7W7R3R◦R3R3R3R◦R•SRR2R2R2R•R•
AdelphiD2663-R2W5W5R2W7R2
UNLVMountain West953-W5W7R3R2R2W3R•R3R•
Oregon StateWest Coast1562-R2R2R•R3R2R2R2W7R2R2R3R•R•R2W7
CreightonBig East1252-W7W5R2R2R2R◦R◦R3R•R3R•R•
Cal State NorthridgeBig West1442-R2W5RUR2R3R•R•R•R◦R•R◦R•R•R•
IndianaBig Ten1042-W7R2W3R2R3R3R•R2R•R3
AuburnSEC2032-R◦R◦R3R2R3R3R3R3R•R2W3RUSRR3R2R•R3R2R2R2
PrincetonIvy League1222-R3W7W7R◦R◦R3R•R•R•R•R•R3
Southern MissSun Belt422-W7W3R◦R◦
KentuckySEC1681-R2R3SRR3SRW5SRR2SRSRSRSRR2R3R3R2
PacificWest Coast1371-R2W5R2R2R2R2R•R2R◦R◦R•R2R•
Central MichiganMAC1461-R2R2R2W5R2R•R3R2R◦R3R•R•R◦R•
KansasBig 121261-R2R2R2W7R2R3R2R3R3R2R3R2
HawaiiBig West1151-R2R2R3R2R◦R3SRR2W5R•R2
South FloridaAmerican1841-R3R3R2R2R◦R3R2SRR•W7R2R2R3R3R3R2R3R3
UConnBig East941-R2R3R3R2W5R2R•R◦R•
MinnesotaBig Ten1731-R3R3R•R2R3R3R◦R3SRR2R2R2R2W7R2R3R3
Virginia TechACC1431-R3R3R3W7R2R2R3R•R2SRSRR2R3R2
James MadisonSun Belt931-R•R3R3R3SRR2R3SRW3
Ole MissSEC931-R2SRR2SRR2R2R2R•W7
DukeACC531-R2SRSRW7R2
Texas TechBig 12721-R2R•R2R2R3R2RU
Western MichiganMAC421-W5R2R◦R•
Utah StateMountain West421-W7R3R3R2
UICMissouri Valley1211-W7R3R3R3R3R◦R◦R3R•R3R•R•
Kent StateMAC411-W7R3R2R3
ToledoMAC311-W7R3R•
Northern IllinoisMAC211-W7R3
ArkansasSEC144--R•R3R3R•R2R2R•SRR•SRSRR2R3SR
Notre DameACC273--R3R2R•R•R◦R2R2R•R◦R2R2R3R3R2R2R3R2R•R2R2R2R3R2R3R2R3R3
Ohio StateBig Ten133--R2R2R◦R3R2SRR2R3R•R2R3R3R2
ClemsonACC53--R2SRSRR3SR
HofstraCAA182--R3R3R◦R◦R◦R•R2R2R3R3R2R2SRR2R3R3R3R•
San Diego StateMountain West152--R2R◦R2R3R•R3R2R2R3R3R2R2SRR•R3
Georgia TechACC132--R2R•R3R2R2R3R3SRR2R3R3R3R•
Penn StateBig Ten112--R2R2R•R•R•R◦R2R2R•R2R3
HoustonBig 1292--R◦R2SRSRR3R3R3R3R2
Michigan StateBig Ten42--R3R2R2R•
Mississippi StateSEC191--R3R◦R◦R◦R2R3R3R•R•R3R3R3R•R2R2R2SRR3R2
BYUBig 12171--R◦R3R3R2R2R3SRR2R2R•R3R3R3R2R3R3R2
Boston UniversityPatriot141--R2R◦R◦R2R3R3R3R•R•R•R•R3R3R•
Texas StateSun Belt121--R◦R3R2R3R•R3R3R3R3R3R3R2
UCFBig 12121--R3R2R3R•R2R2R2R2SRR3R3R2
Southern IllinoisMissouri Valley111--R3R2R3R3R3R3R•R3R•R•R2
Bethune–CookmanSWAC101--R◦R◦R◦R◦SRR•R•R•R•R•
North Dakota StateSummit101--SRR•R•R3R3R2R3R3R3R•
Illinois StateMissouri Valley91--R2R3R•R•R3R2R•R3R2
Jacksonville StateCUSA91--R•R2SRR•R3R•R2R3R2
LibertyCUSA81--R◦R•R2R2R3R2R2SR
IllinoisBig Ten81--R◦R2R•R2R3R2R3R•
Missouri StateCUSA71--R2R•R•R3R•R3R3
Wichita StateAmerican71--R2R•R3R2R2R3R3
NC StateACC51--R3R3R2R2SR
UABAmerican51--R3R3R•SRR3
Bowling GreenMAC41--R2R3R3R◦
San Jose StateMountain West41--R3R2R•R3
MarylandBig Ten41--R2R3R3R•
Northern IowaMissouri Valley31--R2R3R3
NichollsSouthland31--R3R2R•
Colorado StateMountain West31--R2R◦R3
RutgersBig Ten21--R2R•
Wyomingdefunct11--R2
New MexicoMountain West11--R2
Rhode IslandAtlantic 1011--R2
North CarolinaACC16---R•R◦R◦R2R•R3R•R2R2R2R3R3R3R2R2R•
LouisvilleACC15---R◦R3R2R3R3R3R2R2R2R3R•R•R•R2R3
ChattanoogaSouthern13---R•R◦R3R◦R◦R•R•R2R•R•R•R3
Florida AtlanticAmerican11---R3R◦R3R•R•R•R2R2R3R•R3
LehighPatriot11---R◦R◦R•R2R3R2R•R•R3R•R3
TulsaAmerican11---R•R•R2R2R3R•R2R•R2R3R2
LIUNEC10---R•R◦R◦R•R3R•R2R•R•R•
FordhamAtlantic 1010---R2R3R3R•R2R•R3R•R•R•
CanisiusMAAC9---R3R•R◦R◦R•R•R3R•R•
McNeeseSouthland9---R•R3R•R3R3R3R3R2R2
WisconsinBig Ten9---R3R◦R•R2R2R2R3R2R2
Miami (OH)MAC9---R•R3R3R3R•R3R2R3R3
HarvardIvy League8---R3R◦R•R•R2R•R•R•
Florida A&MSWAC8---R◦R•R3R•R•R•R•R•
Mississippi Valley StateSWAC8---R•R•R•R•R•R3R•R•
AlbanyAmerica East8---R•R•R2R•R3R•R•R•
USC UpstateBig South7---R3R3R3R3R3R•R•
Saint Francis (PA)NEC7---R3R•R•R•R•R3R•
CampbellCAA6---R•R3R•R3R•R3
Coastal CarolinaSun Belt6---R•R3R◦R•R3R3
UMBCAmerica East6---R◦R◦R•R•R•R•
Portland StateBig Sky6---R3R•R•R3R•R•
South AlabamaSun Belt6---R2R2R2R2R3R2
Northwestern StateSouthland5---R•R◦R◦R•R•
CornellIvy League5---R◦R◦R◦R•R•
MaristMAAC5---R•R•R•R•R3
LongwoodBig South5---R•R3R2R2R•
Weber StateBig Sky5---R•R•R3R•R3
Western IllinoisOhio Valley4---R3R◦R◦R3
Sacramento StateBig Sky4---R3R•R•R•
DrakeMissouri Valley4---R•R•R2R3
UNC GreensboroSouthern4---R•R•R•R•
East CarolinaAmerican4---R◦R3R2R2
Seton HallBig East4---R◦R•R3R•
OaklandHorizon4---R◦R◦R•R•
Wright Statedefunct4---R◦R•R•R3
UC Santa BarbaraBig West4---R◦R•R•R2
Loyola MarymountWest Coast4---R•R2R3R3
Tennessee TechOhio Valley4---R•R•R2R3
IonaMAAC4---R•R•R•R•
New Mexico StateCUSA4---R3R3R•R•
Grand CanyonMountain West4---R•R3R2R3
MaineAmerica East3---R•R◦R•
OhioMAC3---R•R•R2
Boston CollegeACC3---R3R•R•
Cleveland StateHorizon3---R•R•R•
Ball StateMAC3---R•R•R3
ColgatePatriot3---R◦R◦R•
Southeast Missouri StateOhio Valley3---R•R3R•
ArmyPatriot3---R◦R◦R•
Middle TennesseeCUSA3---R◦R•R2
Eastern KentuckyASUN3---R•R◦R•
FIUCUSA3---R◦R2R3
Texas A&M–Corpus ChristiSouthland3---R◦R◦R3
Georgia SouthernSun Belt3---R3R•R3
NevadaMountain West3---R•R2R3
Southern UtahWAC3---R•R3R•
HowardMEAC3---R•R•R•
LipscombASUN3---R2R2R3
SyracuseACC3---R•R3R2
VirginiaACC3---R3R2R3
Jackson StateSWAC3---R•R•R•
ValparaisoMissouri Valley3---R•R3R•
Western KentuckyCUSA3---R2R2R3
Texas SouthernSWAC3---R•R•R•
Alabama StateSWAC3---R•R•R•
Prairie View A&MSWAC3---R•R•R•
VillanovaBig East3---R3R•R2
OmahaSummit3---R3R2R3
Iowa StateBig 122---R3R2
Georgia StateSun Belt2---R•R•
TroySun Belt2---R•R3
BrownIvy League2---R•R•
RiderMAAC2---R•R◦
ManhattanMAAC2---R◦R•
SouthernSWAC2---R◦R◦
CentenaryD32---R◦R•
UTSAAmerican2---R◦R•
Green BayHorizon2---R3R•
Robert MorrisHorizon2---R•R•
Cal PolyBig West2---R•R2
Sam HoustonCUSA2---R3R3
StetsonASUN2---R•R3
WinthropBig South2---R2R•
PurdueBig Ten2---R3R2
Stony BrookCAA2---R•R•
BradleyMissouri Valley2---R3R•
RadfordBig South2---R3R2
Sacred HeartMAAC2---R3R•
UT MartinOhio Valley2---R•R•
ElonCAA2---R•R•
Saint Mary'sWest Coast2---R•R•
Florida Gulf CoastASUN2---R3R3
Central ConnecticutNEC2---R3R•
MarshallSun Belt2---R3R3
DartmouthIvy League2---R•R•
BinghamtonAmerica East2---R•R•
Central ArkansasASUN2---R•R3
FairfieldMAAC2---R•R•
Boise StateMountain West2---R•R2
Kennesaw StateCUSA2---R•R3
MonmouthCAA2---R•R•
SeattleWest Coast2---R3R3
Morgan StateMEAC2---R•R•
South Dakota StateSummit2---R3R3
UNC WilmingtonCAA2---R•R•
CharlotteAmerican2---R2R3
Eastern IllinoisOhio Valley2---R•R•
Northern ColoradoBig Sky2---R•R•
Southeastern LouisianaSouthland2---R2R2
ProvidenceBig East1---R3
Louisiana–MonroeSun Belt1---R3
NiagaraMAAC1---R•
Saint Peter'sMAAC1---R◦
EvansvilleMissouri Valley1---R◦
UT ArlingtonWAC1---R3
CharlestonCAA1---R2
Youngstown StateHorizon1---R•
Eastern Michigandefunct1---R•
FurmanSouthern1---R•
Delaware StateMEAC1---R•
Stephen F. AustinSouthland1---R•
Alcorn StateSWAC1---R•
BucknellPatriot1---R•
UC DavisBig West1---R•
JacksonvilleASUN1---R3
MemphisAmerican1---R3
HamptonCAA1---R•
PennIvy League1---R•
Purdue Fort WayneHorizon1---R•
BryantAmerica East1---R•
Charleston SouthernBig South1---R•
SIU EdwardsvilleOhio Valley1---R•
Utah ValleyWAC1---R•
Indiana StateMissouri Valley1---R3
PittsburghACC1---R2
St. John'sBig East1---R•
ButlerBig East1---R•
Cal State BakersfieldBig West1---R•
SamfordSouthern1---R•
East Tennessee StateSouthern1---R•
MontanaBig Sky1---R•
Detroit MercyHorizon1---R•
George WashingtonAtlantic 101---R•
Murray StateMissouri Valley1---R•
North TexasAmerican1---R2
George MasonAtlantic 101---R•
North Carolina CentralMEAC1---R•
Northern KentuckyHorizon1---R•
DaytonAtlantic 101---R•
SienaMAAC1---R•
BelmontMissouri Valley1---R3
MercerSouthern1---R2
North FloridaASUN1---R2
Saint LouisAtlantic 101---R•
Santa ClaraWest Coast1---R•
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References

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