NCAA softball tournament bracket, 2026 regionals schedule, locations

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The NCAA Softball Tournament bracket will be revealed on Sunday, May 10. Then, the race is on for a national championship — starting with regionals.

The 64-team bracket consists of 16 regionals, hosted by the 16 national seeds selected by the NCAA. The top eight seeded teams also host super regionals, a three-game series that determines the eight teams to make the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Texas is looking to repeat as national champions after taking down Texas Tech last season for its first title. The Longhorns are more than capable of winning another national championship, as evidenced by their 7-1 defeat of Alabama to win the SEC Softball Tournament on May 9.

Oklahoma, who won four consecutive national championships from 2021-24, is looking for revenge after failing to reach the national title series for the first time since 2018 last season. The Sooners were upset by Georgia in the SEC Tournament, and are hoping to regroup for the postseason.

Here's a look at the NCAA Softball Tournament schedule, including when the bracket kicks off with regionals:

When is regional round for NCAA Softball Tournament?

Regionals for the NCAA Softball Tournament start on Friday, May 15, and end on Sunday, May 17. Regionals consist of four teams in a double-elimination format, where the loser's bracket team has to win two consecutive games against the winner's bracket team to advance to the super regionals.

Regional locations for NCAA Softball Tournament

Here's a full look at which teams are hosting the regional round of the 2026 NCAA Softball Tournament:

Note: Regional hosts are rewarded based on the NCAA tournament selection committee's ranking of the top-16 teams.

1. Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
2. Texas (Austin, Texas)
3. Oklahoma (Norman, Oklahoma)
4. Nebraska (Lincoln, Nebraska)
5. Arkansas (Fayetteville, Arkansas)
6. Florida (Gainesville, Florida)
7. Tennessee (Knoxville, Tennessee)
8. UCLA (Los Angeles)
9. Florida State (Tallahassee, Florida)
10. Georgia (Athens, Georgia)
11. Texas Tech (Lubbock, Texas)
12. Duke (Durham, North Carolina)
13. Oklahoma State (Stillwater, Oklahoma)
14. Oregon (Eugene, Oregon)
15. Texas A&M (College Station, Texas)
16. LSU (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)

NCAA Softball Tournament schedule, dates

Here's the full schedule and dates for the NCAA Softball Tournament in 2026:

• Regionals: Friday, May 15 through Sunday, May 17
• Super Regionals: Thursday, May 21 through Sunday, May 24
• Women's College World Series: Thursday, May 28 through Thursday, June 4 or Friday, June 5
• WCWS finals: Wednesday, June 3 through Thursday, June 4 or Friday, June 5

How to watch NCAA Softball Tournament games: TV channel, streaming

• TV channel: ABC | ESPN | ESPN2
• Streaming: ESPN app | ESPN+ | Fubo (free trial)

NCAA Softball Tournament games will air live on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 in 2026, with most regional games airing on ESPN+, the TV network's exclusive subscription-based streaming platform. Games airing on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 can also be streamed via Fubo, which offers a free trial. Another option is the ESPN app (with a valid cable login) for games on ESPN and ESPN2.