Florida State softball won its 20th ACC tournament title with a 2-1 win over Virginia Tech on Saturday, setting the stage for the Seminoles to potentially host both a regional and super regional in the 2026 NCAA tournament.
The Seminoles (49-8) claimed the ACC tournament title and paired it with a 19th regular season crown and currently sit seventh in rating percentage index (RPI). It’s a resume that stacks up among the best in the country, but will it be enough to convince the committee that FSU should be in the top eight?
With the NCAA selection show set for Sunday, May 10, the Seminoles are guaranteed a regional hosting spot, a top-16 seed.
RPI is a major metric that decides tournament seeding, and with the tournament win over the Hokies, the program’s entrance into the top eight should boost its odds, especially considering two teams ahead of it, Tennessee (5th) and Texas A&M (1st), had early exits in the SEC tournament.
So where will FSU end up?
That’s a question that will only be answered during the selection show, but we gave it our best shot.
Here is where Liam Rooney and Peter Holland Jr. predict FSU to land in the tournament.
Rooney: Seminoles land in the top eight, earn a 6 seed
The win over the Hokies propelled the Seminoles into the top eight of the RPI, and in my opinion, into a top-eight national seed, landing as a sixth seed.
FSU is filled with talent, including eight players on the All-ACC teams, the ACC Coach of the Year, Lonni Alameda, ACC Player and Defender of the Year, Isa Torres, and the ACC Pitcher of the Year, Jazzy Francik. It’s a star-studded team, and one that reflects a top-eight national seed.
While getting into the top eight gives the Seminoles an opportunity to host a super regional, the program will have to take care of business in the regional to make that a reality.
Holland: FSU takes 6 seed after two convincing ACC tournament wins
Florida State’s back-to-back wins over Stanford and Virginia Tech in the ACC championship should provide enough of a boost to move it into the top eight. The sixth seed appears reasonable based on its previous No. 9 position in the RPI.
FSU could climb even higher depending on results elsewhere. Losses by Texas Tech and Nebraska in their respective conference title games could help the Seminoles move up.
Throughout the season, Florida State has proven it can compete with and defeat higher-ranked teams, winning in multiple ways through offense, pitching and defense while relying heavily on nine freshmen. The Seminoles have earned the right to host, and the conference title should be enough to push them into the top-six range.
How to watch the 2026 NCAA softball tournament selection show
- Date: Sunday, May 10
- Time: 7 p.m.
- Watch: ESPN2
When are the regional and super regional rounds of the NCAA tournament?
The NCAA regional round begins on May 15 and will conclude on May 17 at the 16 different regional sites. Those sites are determined by the top 16 overall seeds in the tournament.
The winners of the 16 regionals will then play each other in the super regional rounds. The matchups are determined by seeding, with the No. 1-seeded regional host paired with the No. 16 regional host, No. 2-seeded host paired with No. 15, etc.
2026 NCAA softball tournament schedule
Information provided by NCAA.com
- Regionals: Friday, May 15 to Sunday, May 17 | TBA host sites
- Super regionals: Thursday, May 21 to Sunday, May 24 | TBA host sites
- Women’s College World Series: May 28 – June 4/5 | Devon Park in Oklahoma City, OK
- Game 1 | 12 p.m. Thursday, May 28 on ESPN
- Game 2 | 2:30 p.m. Thursday, May 28 on ESPN
- Game 3 | 7 p.m. Thursday, May 28 on ESPN2
- Game 4 | 9:30 p.m. Thursday, May 28 on ESPN2
- Game 5 | 7 p.m. Friday, May 29 on ESPN2
- Game 6 | 9:30 p.m. Friday, May 29 on ESPN2
- Game 7 | 3 p.m. Saturday, May 30 on ABC
- Game 8 | 7 p.m. Saturday, May 30 on ESPN
- Game 9 | 3 p.m. Sunday, May 31 on ABC
- Game 10 | 7 p.m. Sunday, May 31 on ESPN2
- Game 11 | 12 p.m. Monday, June 1 on ESPN
- Game 12 | 2:30 p.m. Monday, June 1 on ESPN (if necessary)
- Game 13 | 7 p.m. Monday, June 1 on ESPN2
- Game 14 | 9:30 p.m. Monday, June 1 on ESPN2 (if necessary)
- Championship Series Game 1 | 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 3 on ESPN
- Championship Series Game 2 | 8 p.m. Thursday, June 4 on ESPN
- Championship Series Game 3 | 8 p.m. Friday, June 5 on ESPN (if necessary)
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU softball 2026 NCAA tournament seed prediction
