The 2026 NCAA Division I Softball season, play of college softball in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level, began in February 2026. The season progressed through the regular season, many conference tournaments and championship series, and concluded with the 2026 NCAA Division I softball tournament and 2026 Women's College World Series. The Women's College World Series, consisting of the eight remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament and held annually in Oklahoma City at Devon Park, ended in June 2026.
Realignment
One school transitioned from NCAA Division II to Division I after the 2025 season.
New Haven in the Division II Northeast-10 Conference. The school started a transition to Division I in July 2025 as a new member of the Northeast Conference.
A total of five softball-sponsoring schools changed conferences after the 2025 season. Delaware and Missouri State joined Conference USA. Grand Canyon joined the Mountain West Conference. Seattle joined the West Coast Conference. UMass joined the Mid-American Conference.
Two schools dropped their programs. Horizon League members Purdue Fort Wayne and Cleveland State dropped softball after the 2025 season.
The 2026 season was the last for 21 schools in their current softball conferences. This does not include the three softball-sponsoring schools of the Western Athletic Conference that will remain members when that conference rebrands as the United Athletic Conference in July 2026.
School 2026 conference Future conference Austin Peay Atlantic Sun United Athletic California Baptist Western Athletic Big West Central Arkansas Atlantic Sun United Athletic Colorado State Mountain West Pac-12 Eastern Kentucky Atlantic Sun United Athletic Fresno State Mountain West Pac-12 Hawaii Big West Mountain West North Alabama Atlantic Sun United Athletic Northern Illinois MAC Horizon Oregon State West Coast Pac-12 Sacramento State Big Sky Big West Saint Francis NEC Presidents' (D-III) San Diego State Mountain West Pac-12 Southern Utah Western Athletic Big Sky Tennessee Tech Ohio Valley Southern Texas State Sun Belt Pac-12 UC Davis Big West Mountain West Utah Tech Western Athletic Big Sky Utah Valley Western Athletic Big West UTEP Conference USA Mountain West West Georgia Atlantic Sun United Athletic
Other headlines May 9, 2026 – During the Big Ten tournament championship game, UCLA's Megan Grant hit her 38th homer of the season, giving her sole possession of the Division I single-season record.
Conference standings
Conference winners and tournaments Of the 31 Division I athletic conferences that sponsor softball, all but one end their regular seasons with a single-elimination tournament or a double elimination tournament. The teams in each conference that win their regular season title are given the number one seed in each tournament. Only the West Coast Conference does not hold a conference tournament. The winners of these tournaments, plus the West Coast Conference regular-season champions, receive automatic invitations to the 2026 NCAA Division I softball tournament. ConferenceRegular Season WinnerConference Player of the YearConference Pitcher of the YearConference Coach of the YearConference TournamentTournament Venue • CityTournament Winner America East Conference Rachel Carey, Binghamton Maddy Wachter, Bryant Bianka Bell, Bryant 2026 America East Conference softball tournament Pierre & Catherine Labat Softball Complex • Orono, ME Binghamton American Conference & Kinzey Woody, Wichita State Anne Long, South Florida Wichita State 2026 American Conference softball tournament Max R. Joyner Family Stadium • Greenville, NC South Florida Atlantic 10 Conference Ashley Corpuz, George Washington Izzy Kemp, Dayton Alicia Abbott, Loyola Chicago 2026 Atlantic 10 Conference softball tournament Billiken Sports Center • St. Louis, MO Fordham Atlantic Coast Conference Isa Torres, Florida State Jazzy Francik, Florida State Lonni Alameda, Florida State 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference softball tournament Palmer Park • Charlottesville, VA Florida State Atlantic Sun Conference Gold - Central ArkansasGraphite -Stetson Nicole Edmiaston, Stetson Jacy Harrelson, Jacksonville Shellie Cousins, Stetson 2026 ASUN Conference softball tournament UNF Softball Complex • Jacksonville, FL Stetson Big 12 Conference Texas Tech Sydney Stewart, Arizona Ruby Meylan, Oklahoma State &NiJaree Canady, Texas Tech Gerry Glasco, Texas Tech 2026 Big 12 Conference softball tournament Devon Park • Oklahoma City, OK Arizona State Big East Conference & UConn Cat Petteys, UConn Alyssa Twomey, Providence Providence 2026 Big East Conference softball tournament Parkway Bank Sports Complex • Rosemont, IL UConn Big Sky Conference Lafulafu Malepeai, Sacramento State Marley Goluskin, Idaho State Andrew Rich, Idaho State &Stef Ewing, Montana 2026 Big Sky Conference softball tournament Miller Ranch Stadium • Pocatello, ID Idaho State Big South Conference Taliyah Thomas, USC Upstate Dakota Redmon, Radford Kendall Fuller, Winthrop 2026 Big South Conference softball tournament Cyrill Softball Stadium • Spartanburg, SC USC Upstate Big Ten Conference Nebraska Jordan Woolery, UCLA Jordy Frahm, Nebraska Rhonda Revelle, Nebraska 2026 Big Ten softball tournament Maryland Softball Stadium • College Park, MD Nebraska Big West Conference Sarah Perez, Cal State Fullerton Taryn Irimata, Hawaii Gina Oaks Garcia, Cal State Fullerton &Panita Thanatharn, Hawaii 2026 Big West Conference softball tournament Anderson Family Field • Fullerton, CA Cal State Fullerton Coastal Athletic Association North - South - & Charlie Montgomery, Campbell Camille Hamilton, UNC Wilmington Susan Cassidy-Lyke, Hofstra 2026 Coastal Athletic Association softball tournament Hunt Softball Park • Elon, NC Charleston Conference USA Emma Elrod, Jacksonville State Makenna Moore, Jacksonville State Julie Boland, Jacksonville State 2026 Conference USA softball tournament Delaware Softball Diamond • Newark, DE Jacksonville State Horizon League Courtney Poulich, Robert Morris Kennedy Kimball, Youngstown State Brian Campbell, Youngstown State 2026 Horizon League softball tournament Regular season champion home stadium Ivy League Lauren Holt, Cornell &Jade Montgomery, Penn Mads Lawson, Columbia Princeton 2026 Ivy League softball tournament Campus sites Princeton Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Peyton Pusey, Marist Gracie Goewey, Siena Joe Ausanio, Marist 2026 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference softball tournament Regular season champion home stadium Marist Mid-American Conference Bailey Manos, Miami (OH) Presley Hosick, Miami (OH) Craig Nicholson, Akron 2026 Mid-American Conference softball tournament Firestone Stadium • Akron, OH Akron Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Howard Maryn Jordan, Howard Aiko Conaway, Howard Tori Tyson, Howard 2026 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference softball tournament NSU Softball Field • Norfolk, VA Howard Missouri Valley Conference Belmont Skylar Benesh, Northern Iowa Maya Johnson, Belmont Belmont 2026 Missouri Valley Conference softball tournament Charlotte West Stadium • Carbondale, IL Belmont Mountain West Conference Grand Canyon Hannah Di Genova, Nevada Lauren Fettic, UNLV Shanon Hays, Grand Canyon 2026 Mountain West Conference softball tournament Christina M. Hixson Softball Park • Reno, NV Grand Canyon NEC Lily Hinkle, LIU Karson Zavala, Wagner Central Connecticut 2026 Northeast Conference softball tournament Regular season champion home stadium Wagner Ohio Valley Conference Eastern Illinois Lizzie Stiverson, Eastern Illinois Avery Arwood, SIU Edwardsville Kristi & Dan Paulson, Eastern Illinois 2026 Ohio Valley Conference softball tournament Louisville Slugger Sports Complex • Peoria, IL Eastern Illinois Patriot League Boston University Kylie Doherty, Boston University Kasey Ricard, Boston University Boston University 2026 Patriot League softball tournament Campus sites Boston University Southeastern Conference Oklahoma Katie Stewart, Texas Jocelyn Briski, Alabama Patrick Murphy, Alabama 2026 SEC softball tournament John Cropp Stadium • Lexington, KY Texas Southern Conference UNC Greensboro Olivia Shaw, Samford Brooklyn Shroyer, UNC Greensboro Janelle Breneman, UNC Greensboro 2026 Southern Conference softball tournament Frost Stadium • Chattanooga, TN UNC Greensboro Southland Conference Southeastern Louisiana Victoria Altamirano, Incarnate Word Hallie Burns, Southeastern Louisiana Rick Fremin, Southeastern Louisiana 2026 Southland Conference softball tournament Campus sites McNeese Southwestern Athletic Conference East - Florida A&MWest - Prairie View A&M Amari Brown, Florida A&M Aaliyah Zabala, Southern Brittney Williams, Southern 2026 Southwestern Athletic Conference softball tournament Gulfport Sportsplex • Gulfport, MS Florida A&M Summit League Ella Cook, St. Thomas Maddia Groff, Omaha Mike Heard, Omaha 2026 Summit League softball tournament Jane Sage Cowles Stadium • Minneapolis, MN South Dakota Sun Belt Conference Louisiana–Monroe Sydni Burko, Marshall Maddy Azua, Texas State Molly Fichtner, Louisiana–Monroe 2026 Sun Belt Conference softball tournament Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA South Alabama West Coast Conference Saint Mary's Jaeya Butler, Oregon State Odhi Vasquez, Saint Mary's Sonja Garnett, Saint Mary's No tournament, regular season champion earns auto bid Western Athletic Conference California Baptist Kinley Pappas, Utah Tech Miranda De Nava, California Baptist Brandon Telesco, California Baptist 2026 Western Athletic Conference softball tournament Tarleton Softball Complex • Stephenville, TX California Baptist
Award winners USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year: Jordy Frahm, Nebraska NFCA National Player of the Year: Jordy Frahm, Nebraska Softball America Player of the Year: Jordan Woolery, UCLA NFCA National Pitcher of the Year: Maya Johnson, Belmont Softball America Pitcher of the Year: Maya Johnson, Belmont NFCA National Freshman of the Year: Kendall Wells, Oklahoma Softball America Freshman of the Year: Kendall Wells, Oklahoma NFCA Catcher of the Year: Kendall Wells, Oklahoma NFCA Golden Shoe Award: Chelsea Mack, Louisville
All-America Teams The following players were members of the All-American Teams.
First Team Position Player Class School P Maya Johnson R-SR. Belmont Jocelyn Briski JR. Alabama Sage Mardjetko JR. Tennessee C Kendall Wells FR. Oklahoma 1B Jordan Woolery SR. UCLA 2B Aminah Vega SR. Duke 3B Ella McDowell SO. Arkansas SS Isa Torres JR. Florida State OF Megan Grant SR. UCLA Ella Parker JR. Oklahoma Elon Butler SR. Oregon UT Jordy Frahm SR. Nebraska Mya Perez JR. Texas A&MAT-L Karlyn Pickens SR. Tennessee Kaitlyn Terry JR. Texas Tech Emily LeGette JR. North Carolina Robyn Herron SR. Arkansas Sydney Stewart SR. Arizona
Second Team Position Player Class School P NiJaree Canady SR. Texas Tech Ruby Meylan SR. Oklahoma State Kenzie Brown SR. Arizona State C Reese Atwood SR. Texas 1B Katie Stewart JR. Texas 2B Mia Williams JR. Texas Tech 3B Jordan Lynch SO. Virginia Tech SS Jessica Oakland R-JR. Duke OF Sarah Gordon SR. Georgia Taylor Shumaker SO. Florida Sanaa Thompson JR. North Carolina UT Ashtyn Danley JR. Florida State Taryn Kern SR StanfordAT-L Madi George FR. Ole Miss Brooke Wells SO. Alabama Teagan Kavan JR. Texas Lauren Putz SO. Michigan Macee Eaton JR. Virginia
Third Team Position Player Class School P Bree Carrico SO. Virginia Tech Jori Heard SR. South Carolina Madison Azua JR. Texas State C Ella Boyer FR. Kansas 1B Jackie Lis SR. Texas Tech 2B Sierra Humphreys JR. UCF 3B Jaysoni Beachum JR. Florida State SS Gabbie Garcia SO. Oklahoma OF Moriah Polar JR. Purdue Amari Harper SR. Oregon Kai Minor FR. Oklahoma UT Alexis Jensen FR. Nebraska Alexis Pupillo SR. AlabamaAT-L Bri Despines SR. Louisville Jaydyn Goodwin SR. Georgia Jazzy Francik SO. Florida State Rylee Slimp SO. UCLA Keagan Rothrock JR. Florida
See also 2026 NCAA Division I baseball season
References