Sport | College softball |
---|---|
Founded | 1982 |
Country | United States Canada |
Most recent champion(s) | Texas–Tyler (1st) |
Most titles | Cal State Northridge (4) |
TV partner(s) | ESPNU |
Tournament format | Double elimination |
Official website | NCAA.com |
The NCAA Division II Softball Championship is the annual tournament hosted by the NCAA to determine the national champion of women's college softball among Division II members in the United States and Canada. The final rounds of the tournament are also referred to as the NCAA Division II Women's College World Series. The tournament has been held annually since 1982. [1]
Cal State Northridge have been the most successful team in the history of the tournament, with four national titles. Of the active Division II members, there are six teams with two titles each.
Texas–Tyler are the reigning national champions, winning their first national title in 2024.
Softball was one of twelve women's sports added to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship program for the 1981-82 school year, as the NCAA engaged in battle with the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) for sole governance of women's collegiate sports. The AIAW continued to conduct its established championship program in the same twelve (and other) sports; however, after a year of dual women's championships, the NCAA conquered the AIAW and usurped its authority and membership.
See Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Champions for the AIAW Division II and III softball champions from 1980 to 1982 (in 1982, in all three divisions, there were both NCAA and AIAW champions).
Team | Titles | Years |
---|---|---|
North Georgia | 2 | 2015, 2023 |
West Texas A&M | 2 | 2014, 2021 |
Augustana (SD) | 2 | 1991, 2019 |
Lock Haven | 2 | 2006, 2009 |
Cal Poly Humboldt | 2 | 1999, 2008 |
California (PA) | 2 | 1998, 1999 |
Texas–Tyler | 1 | 2024 |
Rogers State | 1 | 2022 |
Minnesota State | 1 | 2017 |
Central Oklahoma | 1 | 2013 |
Valdosta State | 1 | 2012 |
Hawai'i Pacific | 1 | 2010 |
Angelo State | 1 | 2004 |
St. Mary's (TX) | 1 | 2002 |
Florida Southern | 1 | 1993 |
Missouri Southern | 1 | 1992 |
Team | Titles | Years |
---|---|---|
Cal State Northridge | 4 | 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987 |
Cal State Bakersfield | 3 | 1988, 1989, 1990 |
Kennesaw State | 2 | 1995, 1996 |
Southern Indiana | 1 | 2018 |
North Alabama | 1 | 2016 |
UC San Diego | 1 | 2011 |
SIU Edwardsville | 1 | 2007 |
UC Davis | 1 | 2003 |
Omaha | 1 | 2001 |
North Dakota State | 1 | 2000 |
Merrimack | 1 | 1994 |
Stephen F. Austin | 1 | 1987 |
Sam Houston | 1 | 1982 |
The Women's College World Series (WCWS) is the final portion of the NCAA Division I softball tournament for college softball in the United States. The eight teams of the WCWS play a double-elimination tournament until just two teams remain. These two teams compete in a best-of-three series to determine the Division I WCWS National Champion. Previous WCWS losses do not factor into the best-of-three championship series, and the first team to win two of three games is declared the National Champion.
The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) was a college athletics organization in the United States, founded in 1971 to govern women's college competitions in the country and to administer national championships. It evolved out of the "Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women" (CIAW), founded in 1967. The association was one of the biggest advancements for women's athletics on the collegiate level. Throughout the 1970s, the AIAW grew rapidly in membership and influence, in parallel with the national growth of women's sports following the enactment of Title IX.
The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women's athletics and to administer national championships. During its existence, the AIAW and its predecessor, the Division for Girls' and Women's Sports (DGWS), recognized via these championships the teams and individuals who excelled at the highest level of women's collegiate competition.
The NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament is an annual tournament to determine the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II women's college basketball national champion. Basketball was one of 12 women's sports added to the NCAA championship program for the 1981–82 school year, as the NCAA and Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) sought for sole governance of women's collegiate athletics. The AIAW continued to conduct its established championships; however, after a year of dual women's championships at the national level, the AIAW disbanded.
College softball is softball as played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education, predominantly in the United States. College softball is normally played by women at the Intercollegiate level, whereas college baseball is normally played by men.
The NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship refers to one of three championships in women's indoor volleyball contested by the NCAA since 1981:
The Northern Illinois Huskies are the athletic teams that represent Northern Illinois University (NIU). The Huskies are a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I and the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The athletic program is made up of seven men's sports and 10 women's sports. The football team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
The Cal State East Bay Pioneers are the athletic teams that represent California State University, East Bay, located in Hayward, California, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) for most of their sports since the 2009–10 academic year; while its women's water polo teams compete in the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA). The Pioneers previously competed in the California Pacific Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1998–99 to 2008–09.
The Texas Woman's Pioneers are the athletics teams that represent Texas Woman's University, located in Denton, Texas, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. Even though TWU accepts male students, only female sports are sponsored. The Pioneers compete as members of the Lone Star Conference in basketball, soccer, softball and volleyball, and as an independent in gymnastics. The gymnastics team competes in the Midwest Independent Conference which comprises NCAA Division I, II and III institutions. TWU also fields teams in artistic swimming, dance, stunt, and wrestling.
The NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championship is the National Collegiate Athletic Association's tennis tournament to determine the Team Championships, Singles Championships, and Doubles Championships for women's tennis athletes from Division I institutions. Tennis was one of twelve women's sports added to the NCAA championship program for the 1981–82 school year, as the NCAA engaged in battle with the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women for sole governance of women's collegiate sports. The AIAW continued to conduct its established championship program in the same twelve sports; however, after a year of dual women's championships, the NCAA outlasted the AIAW to gain sole authority over women's sports.
The NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Championship is the National Collegiate Athletic Association's annual tennis tournament to determine the team champions of women's collegiate tennis from Division II institutions in the United States.
The NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championship is the annual tennis tournament hosted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to determine the team, singles, and doubles champions of Division III in women's collegiate tennis.
The NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship is the cross country championship held by the National Collegiate Athletic Association each autumn for individual runners and cross country teams from universities in Division I. Teams and individual runners qualify for the championship at regional competitions approximately a week before the national championships. The championship has been held annually since 1981. The reigning national champions are the NC State Wolfpack.
The annual NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Championship tournament has determined the top women's lacrosse team in the NCAA Division I since 1982. The Maryland Terrapins are the most successful team with fourteen titles. The most recent championship was won by Boston College.
The NCAA Division III women's lacrosse tournament is a yearly single-elimination tournament hosted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to determine the national champion women's collegiate lacrosse team among its Division III members in the United States, held annually since 1985.
The NCAA Division I women's volleyball tournament is an annual event that leads to the championship in women's volleyball from teams in Division I contested by the NCAA each winter since 1981. Texas won the most recent tournament, defeating Nebraska 3–0 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
The NCAA Division II women's volleyball tournament is the annual event that decides the championship contested by the NCAA. It determines the national champion of Division II women's collegiate volleyball. It has been held annually since 1981, typically played in December after the fall regular season.
The NCAA Division III women's volleyball tournament is the annual event that decides the championships in women's volleyball from teams in Division III contested by the NCAA each winter since 1981 except in 2020, when all D-III championship events were canceled due to COVID-19.
The NCAA women's gymnastics tournament is an annual gymnastics competition to determine the best collegiate women's gymnastics team in the country. Unlike most NCAA sports, the women's gymnastics championship is not separated into divisions and uses a single National Collegiate tournament instead.
The NCAA Division III softball tournament is the annual tournament hosted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to determine the team champion of women's college softball among its Division III programs in the United States. The final portion of the tournament is also called the Division III Women's College World Series.