Big Ten Sends Four Teams to NCAA Softball Tournament

NCAA BRACKET

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has qualified four teams for the 2024 NCAA Division I Softball Championship. Michigan received the conference’s automatic berth while Northwestern, Indiana and Penn State earned at-large berths.

The NCAA field includes 64 teams taking part in 16 on-campus regionals in a double-elimination format May 17-19. Sixteen winners will advance to eight on-campus, best-of-three super regionals May 23-26 with berths on the line for the NCAA Women’s College World Series, to be held May 30-June 7, at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Michigan (41-16), which captured the Big Ten Tournament title on Saturday, will meet Kentucky (30-22) in the Stillwater (Okla.) Regional at 3 p.m. ET Friday at Cowgirl Stadium. Michigan has qualified for 23 of the past 24 NCAA tournaments and will make its 30th appearance overall.

Northwestern (33-11), the Big Ten regular season champions, face St. Francis of Pennsylvania (40-12) at the Austin (Texas) Regional at 6:30 p.m. ET Friday at McCombs Field. The Wildcats are making their sixth-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and their 22nd appearance overall.

Indiana (40-18) encounters Washington (31-13) in the Columbia (Mo.) Regional at 3 p.m. ET Friday at Mizzou Softball Stadium. The Hoosiers are making their second consecutive trip to the NCAAs and their ninth appearance overall.

Penn State (34-18) will take on Texas State (45-13) in the Bryan-College Station (Texas) Regional at 4 p.m. ET Friday at Davis Diamond. The Nittany Lions are making their first NCAA appearance since 2011 and their 11th overall.

Stillwater Regional (Stillwater, Okla.)
Kentucky (30-22) vs. Michigan (41-16) — Friday (May 17), 3 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Other regional teams: No. 5 Oklahoma State (44-10), Northern Colorado (27-24)

Austin Regional (Austin, Texas)
Northwestern (33-11) vs. St. Francis (Pa.) (40-12)— Friday (May 17), 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Other regional teams: No. 1 Texas (47-7), Siena (33-20)

Columbia Regional (Columbia, Mo.)
Washington (31-13) vs. Indiana (40-18) — Friday (May 17) at 3 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Other regional teams: No. 7 Missouri (43-15), Omaha (41-13)

Bryan-College Station Regional (Bryan-College Station, Texas)
Texas State (45-13) vs. Penn State (34-18) — Friday (May 17) at 4 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Other regional teams: No. 16 Texas A&M (40-13), Albany (33-12)