Big Ten Sends Eight Teams to NCAA Softball Tournament

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has qualified eight teams for the 2025 NCAA Division I Softball Championship. Michigan received the conference’s automatic bid, while Indiana, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, UCLA and Washington earned at-large bids.  

UCLA (No.9 seed) and Oregon (No. 16 seed) will each host this weekend’s regional. The NCAA field includes 64 teams taking part in 16 on-campus regionals in a double-elimination format May 16-18. Sixteen winners will advance to eight on-campus, super regionals May 22-25 with winners advancing to the NCAA Women’s College World Series, to be held May 29-June 5/6, at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Okla. The WCWS is double elimination during bracket play and best-of-three for the championship series.

Nine-seed UCLA (49-10) hosts UC Santa Barbara on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The Bruins boast 12 National Championships and will be making their 40^th NCAA Tournament appearance.  

16-seed Oregon (47-7) will begin postseason play at home against Weber State on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The Ducks won their first-ever Big Ten Championship with a 19-3 conference record and will be making their fifth-straight and 25^th appearance overall.  

Michigan (38-19), which captured its second consecutive Big Ten Tournament Championship on Saturday, will meet UCF in the Austin Regional on Friday at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Michigan has qualified for 24 of the past 25 NCAA tournaments and will make its 31st appearance overall. 

Indiana (33-18) heads to Fayetteville, Ark., and will begin the postseason against Oklahoma State on Friday at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The Hoosiers advanced to the quarterfinals of this year’s Big Ten Tournament.  

Nebraska (39-13) will head to LSU as part of the Baton Rouge Regional and will play UConn on Friday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+. Sunday’s selection marks the Huskers’ 27^th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and 23^rd in the last 30 seasons.  

Northwestern (29-18-1) begins its NCAA Tournament run against Kentucky on Friday at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The Wildcats will be making their fifth-straight NCAA appearance.  

Ohio State (43-12-1) will take on North Carolina in the first game of the Knoxville Regional on Friday at 4 p.m. ET on ESPNU. This will be Ohio State’s 13^th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and the sixth in the last 10 seasons.  

Washington (34-17) will make its 31^st consecutive NCAA Regional appearance, heading to the Lubbock Regional to face Mississippi State on Friday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.  
 
Austin Regional (Austin, Texas) 
Michigan (38-19) vs. UCF (33-22-1) – Friday, May 16, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN2 
Other regional teams: No. 6 Texas (46-10), Eastern Illinois (34-20) 

Clemson Regional (Clemson, S.C.) 
Northwestern (29-18-1) vs. Kentucky (29-26) – Friday, May 16, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN+ 
Other regional teams: No. 11 Clemson (44-12), USC Upstate (39-14) 

Baton Rouge Regional (Baton Rouge, La.) 
Nebraska (39-13) vs. UConn (35-17) – Friday, May 16, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN+  
Other regional teams: No. 10 LSU (41-14), Southeastern Louisiana (48-14) 

Fayetteville Regional (Fayetteville, Ark.) 
Indiana (33-18) vs. Oklahoma State (33-18) – Friday, May 16, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN2 
Other regional teams: No. 4 Arkansas (40-12), Saint Louis (34-22) 

Knoxville Regional (Knoxville, Tenn.) 
Ohio State (43-12-1) vs. North Carolina (40-15) – Friday, May 16, 4 p.m. ET, ESPNU 
Other regional teams: No. 7 Tennessee (40-14), Miami (OH) (35-24) 

Los Angeles Regional (Los Angeles, Calif.) 
No. 9 UCLA (49-10) vs. UC Santa Barbara (34-24) – Friday, May 16, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+ 
Other regional teams: San Diego State (37-17), Arizona State (35-19) 

Eugene Regional (Eugene, Ore.) 
No. 16 Oregon (47-7) vs. Weber State (28-30) – Friday, May 16, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+  
Other regional teams: Binghamton (36-12), Stanford (40-11) 

Lubbock Regional (Lubbock, Texas) 
Washington (34-17) vs. Mississippi State (37-17) – Friday, May 16, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2 
Other regional teams: No. 12 Texas Tech (45-12), Brown (33-15)