With the regional round of the 2026 NCAA softball tournament in the books, the 64-team field is abruptly chopped down to 16.
While, as per usual, the teams who made it on to super regionals were mostly chalky, there were a few surprises. Oregon didn’t even make it to its regional final, while Texas A&M was knocked out. The biggest stunner, however, was No. 9 overall Florida State getting bounced by Central Florida, giving UCF its second ever super regional appearance and first since 2022.
The field otherwise is largely dominated by the SEC, with a few exceptions. After sending five teams to the Women’s College World Series in 2025, tied for a record from a single conference, it could send up to six this year. Frontrunners Texas and Oklahoma are firmly in the mix, while No. 1 seed Alabama looks for its second-ever title and first since 2012.
Here’s a look at the teams playing against each other in the best two-of-three super regional round, which begins Thursday, May 21, including who is hosting:
NCAA softball tournament matchups: Who’s playing who?
- Tuscaloosa super regional: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 16 LSU
- Austin super regional: No. 2 Texas vs. Arizona State
- Norman super regional: No. 3 Oklahoma vs. Mississippi State
- Lincoln super regional: No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 13 Oklahoma State
- Fayetteville super regional: No. 5 Arkansas vs. No. 12 Duke
- Gainesville super regional: No. 6 Florida vs. No. 11 Texas Tech
- Knoxville super regional: No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 10 Georgia
- Los Angeles super regional: No. 8 UCLA vs. Central Florida
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA softball super regionals bracket, teams on road to WCWS