Watch the 2023 NCAA DI softball bracket selection show
Below are the 32 teams that qualified automatically for the 2023 NCAA DI softball tournament. Most earned bids in conference tournaments, while the rest qualified as regular-season champs.
This year's NCAA softball bracket field of 64 was revealed Sunday night, May 14 on ESPN2.
2023 college softball conference tournament schedules, automatic bids
Click or tap on each conference to go directly to the official tournament site or bracket. Also included are tournament dates, host information and the TV information for the championship games.
- : UMBC
- : UCF
- : Central Arkansas
- : George Mason
- : Florida State
- : Oklahoma
- : Seton Hall
- : Northern Colorado
- : Campbell
- : Northwestern
- Big West: Long Beach State (No tournament)
- : Hofstra
- : Middle Tennessee
- : Northern Kentucky
- : Harvard
- : Marist
- : Miami (Ohio)
- : NC Central
- : Southern Illinois
- : San Diego State
- : LIU (Won by default since Merrimack is not eligible)
- : Eastern Illinois
- : Utah
- : Boston University
- SEC: Tennessee
- : UNC Greensboro
- : McNeese
- : Prairie View A&M
- : Omaha
- : Louisiana
- West Coast: Loyola Marymount (No tournament)
- : Grand Canyon
WCWS: Complete dates, info for this year's event
2023 NCAA softball tournament schedule
The tournament starts with 64 teams competing across 16 regionals. The 16 regional winners then face off in a best-of-3 series at eight super regional sited. The eight super regional champs move on to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.
- Sunday, May 14: Selection show at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2
- Friday, May 19 through Sunday, May 21: Regionals (regional competition will be conducted Thursday-Saturday if a regional has a team with a no-competition policy for Sundays)
- Thursday, May 25 through Saturday, May 27 OR Friday, May 26 through Sunday, May 28: Super regionals
- Thursday, June 1 through Friday, June 9: Women's College World Series
Women's College World Series winners
| YEAR | CHAMPION (RECORD) | COACH | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | SITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | *Oklahoma (59-3) | Patty Gasso | 10-5 | Texas | Oklahoma City |
| 2021 | Oklahoma (56-4) | Patty Gasso | 5-1 | Florida State | Oklahoma City |
| 2020 | Canceled due to Covid-19 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2019 | *UCLA (56-6) | Kelly Inouye-Perez | 5-4 | Oklahoma | Oklahoma City |
| 2018 | *Florida State (58-12) | Lonni Alameda | 8-3 | Washington | Oklahoma City |
| 2017 | *Oklahoma (61-9) | Patty Gasso | 5-4 | Florida | Oklahoma City |
| 2016 | Oklahoma (57-8) | Patty Gasso | 2-1 | Auburn | Oklahoma City |
| 2015 | Florida (60-7) | Tim Walton | 4-1 | Michigan | Oklahoma City |
| 2014 | *Florida (55-12) | Tim Walton | 6-3 | Alabama | Oklahoma City |
| 2013 | *Oklahoma (57-4) | Patty Gasso | 4-0 | Tennessee | Oklahoma City |
| 2012 | Alabama (60-8) | Patrick Murphy | 5-4 | Oklahoma | Oklahoma City |
| 2011 | *Arizona State (60-6) | Clint Myers | 7-2 | Florida | Oklahoma City |
| 2010 | *UCLA (50-11) | Kelly Inouye-Perez | 15-9 | Arizona | Oklahoma City |
| 2009 | Washington (51-12) | Heather Tarr | 3-2 | Florida | Oklahoma City |
| 2008 | *Arizona State (66-5) | Clint Myers | 11-0 | Texas A&M | Oklahoma City |
| 2007 | Arizona (50-14-1) | Mike Candrea | 5-0 | Tennessee | Oklahoma City |
| 2006 | Arizona (54-11) | Mike Candrea | 5-0 | Northwestern | Oklahoma City |
| 2005 | Michigan (65-7) | Carol Hutchins | 4-1 | UCLA | Oklahoma City |
| 2004 | UCLA (47-9) | Sue Enquist | 3-1 | California | Oklahoma City |
| 2003 | UCLA (54-7) | Sue Enquist | 1-0 | California | Oklahoma City |
| 2002 | California (56-19) | Diane Ninemire | 6-0 | Arizona | Oklahoma City |
| 2001 | *Arizona (65-4) | Mike Candrea | 1-0 | UCLA | Oklahoma City |
| 2000 | *Oklahoma (66-8) | Patty Gasso | 3-1 | UCLA | Oklahoma City |
| 1999 | *UCLA (63-6) | Sue Enquist | 3-2 | Washington | Oklahoma City |
| 1998 | Fresno State (52-11) | Margie Wright | 1-0 | Arizona | Oklahoma City |
| 1997 | Arizona (61-5) | Mike Candrea | 10-2 | UCLA | Oklahoma City |
| 1996 | *Arizona (58-9) | Mike Candrea | 6-4 | Washington | Columbus, Ga. |
| 1995 | *#UCLA (50-6) | Sharron Backus | 4-2 | Arizona | Oklahoma City |
| 1994 | *Arizona (64-3) | Mike Candrea | 2-0 | Cal State Northridge | Oklahoma City |
| 1993 | Arizona (44-8) | Mike Candrea | 1-0 | UCLA | Oklahoma City |
| 1992 | *UCLA (54-2) | Sharron Backus | 2-0 | Arizona | Oklahoma City |
| 1991 | Arizona (56-16) | Mike Candrea | 5-1 | UCLA | Oklahoma City |
| 1990 | UCLA (62-7) | Sharron Backus | 2-0 | Fresno State | Oklahoma City |
| 1989 | *UCLA (48-4) | Sharron Backus | 1-0 | Fresno State | Sunnyvale, Calif. |
| 1988 | UCLA (53-8) | Sharron Backus | 3-0 | Fresno State | Sunnyvale, Calif. |
| 1987 | Texas A&M (56-8) | Bob Brock | 4-1 | UCLA | Omaha, Neb. |
| 1986 | *Cal State Fullerton (57-9-1) | Judi Garman | 3-0 | Texas A&M | Omaha, Neb. |
| 1985 | UCLA (41-9) | Sharron Backus | 2-1 | Nebraska | Omaha, Neb. |
| 1984 | UCLA (45-6-1) | Sharron Backus | 1-0 | Texas A&M | Omaha, Neb. |
| 1983 | Texas A&M (41-11) | Bob Brock | 2-0 | Cal State Fullerton | Omaha, Neb. |
| 1982 | *UCLA (33-7-2) | Sharron Backus | 2-0 | Fresno State | Omaha, Neb. |
*Indicates undefeated teams in final series.
#-UCLA’s 1995 national championship was later vacated by the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions
