D1Softball Bracketology: Preseason 2025
Top StoriesCollege softball’s longest-active and premier Bracketologist is Eric Lopez and his excellent work can again be found at D1Softball this season. He has projected postseason brackets for more than a decade and will contribute D1Softball Bracketology throughout the season.
It’s never too early to think about the road to Oklahoma City. The regular season begins on Thursday, but even before a pitch is thrown, here’s a look at what the NCAA tournament field might look like in May.
The Field
| Conference | Total Teams | Schools |
|---|---|---|
| SEC | 15 | Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M |
| Big Ten | 8 | Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oregon, Penn State, UCLA, Washington |
| ACC | 7 | Cal, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Stanford, Virginia, Virginia Tech |
| Big 12 | 6 | Arizona, Baylor, BYU, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, UCF |
| American | 2 | FAU, Wichita State |
| ASUN | 1 | FGCU |
| America East | 1 | Binghamton |
| A10 | 1 | Dayton |
| Big East | 1 | Villanova |
| Big Sky | 1 | Northern Colorado |
| Big South | 1 | USC Upstate |
| Big West | 1 | Cal State Fullerton |
| CAA | 1 | UNC Wilmington |
| Conference USA | 1 | Liberty |
| Horizon League | 1 | Cleveland State |
| Ivy League | 1 | Princeton |
| MAAC | 1 | Marist |
| MAC | 1 | Miami Ohio |
| MEAC | 1 | Morgan State |
| Missouri Valley | 1 | Southern Illinois |
| Mountain West | 1 | San Diego State |
| Northeast | 1 | Saint Francis |
| Ohio Valley | 1 | Eastern Illinois |
| Patriot League | 1 | Boston University |
| SoCon | 1 | Chattanooga |
| Southland | 1 | McNeese |
| Summit League | 1 | Omaha |
| Sun Belt | 1 | Texas State |
| SWAC | 1 | Jackson State |
| WAC | 1 | Grand Canyon |
| West Coast (WCC) | 1 | Loyola Marymount |
The Bracket
* denotes automatic bid| AUSTIN | COLUMBIA |
| 1. Texas* (1) | 1. Missouri (16) |
| 4. Binghamton* | 4. Eastern Illinois* |
| 2. Texas State* | 2. Nebraska |
| 3. BYU | 3. Southern Illinois* |
| GAINESVILLE | ANN ARBOR |
| 1. Florida (2) | 1. Michigan (15) |
| 4. Saint Francis* | 4. Cleveland State* |
| 2. UCF | 2. Kentucky |
| 3. FAU* | 3. Miami Ohio* |
| NORMAN | TUSCALOOSA |
| 1. Oklahoma (3) | 1. Alabama (14) |
| 4. Marist* | 4. USC Upstate* |
| 2. Texas Tech | 2. Clemson |
| 3. Omaha* | 3. Penn State |
| LOS ANGELES | ATHENS |
| 1. UCLA* (4) | 1. Georgia (13) |
| 4. Saint Mary's* | 4. UNC Wilmington* |
| 2. Stanford | 2. Virginia Tech |
| 3. Cal State Fullerton* | 3. Northwestern |
| STILLWATER | BATON ROUGE |
| 1. Oklahoma State (5) | 1. LSU (12) |
| 4. Villanova* | 4. Jackson State* |
| 2. Ole Miss | 2. Oregon |
| 3. San Diego State* | McNeese* |
| KNOXVILLE | TUCSON |
| 1. Tennessee (6) | 1. Arizona (11) |
| 4. Dayton* | 4. Grand Canyon* |
| 2. Virginia | 2. Washington |
| 3. Indiana | 3. Auburn |
| TALLAHASSEE | FAYETTEVILLE |
| 1. Florida State* (7) | 1. Arkansas (10) |
| 4. Chattanooga* | 4. Princeton* |
| 2. Mississippi State | 2. California |
| 3. FGCU* | 3. Wichita State |
| COLLEGE STATION | DURHAM |
| 1. Texas A&M (8) | 1. Duke* (9) |
| 4. Northern Colorado* | 4. Morgan State* |
| 2. Baylor | 2. Liberty* |
| 3. Boston U* | 3. South Carolina |
At-Large Predictions
In these preseason predictions, five conferences will get multiple teams into the NCAA tournament. The SEC leads the way with 15 teams in the postseason, followed by the Big Ten (8), ACC (7), Big 12 (6), and the American (2).
We’re projecting all 15 SEC teams into the field, based largely on the benefits that come from the strength of schedule. The ACC and Sun Belt are the two conferences with the most teams just outside the projected Field of 64, narrowly missing these projections.
A significantly-depleted Washington team makes it not only into these projections, but avoids the narrowest part of the bubble. Remember, these projections are forecasting what could be, but doing so through a learned understanding of how the committee makes their selections in May. The Huskies have a postseason history, are playing in a new conference with a very different competition level, and a decent showing likely gets them safely into the field.
One additional note: with every SEC team projected to make the NCAA tournament field, that means only one regional would be without an SEC team. Thanks to the bussing rule (further noted below), these preseason projections have the Los Angeles Regional – with three teams bussing in – as the lone place an SEC team won’t go.
The Bubble, Possibly
Teams #57-60 In: Indiana, Northwestern, South Carolina, UCF
Last Four In: BYU, Penn State, Auburn, Wichita State
First Four Out: Utah, North Texas, James Madison, North Carolina
Next Four Out: Louisiana, NC State, Notre Dame. Arizona State
Hosting Opportunities
The Locked
- Texas
- Florida
- Oklahoma
- UCLA
- Oklahoma State
- Tennessee
- Florida State
The Likelys
- Texas A&M
- Duke
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- LSU
- Georgia
- Alabama
- Michigan
- Missouri
The Lingerers
- Nebraska
- Texas Tech
- Virginia Tech
- Oregon
The Long (but Short) of it
The NCAA softball committee is bound by the 400-mile radius bussing rule. That means that when a team can bus to a certain regional and there are no additional disqualifying reasons for them not to go there (e.g. a conference conflict), that’s where they’re going.
Several times in the field you see above, teams were placed in a certain regional or on a certain seed line based on the 400-mile radius rule. Seemingly-annual tournament matchups, the placement of which SEC team in each regional, and other results seen here can be directly attributed to this rule.
With where the game is at this point, it’s an antiquated rule, but it’s one that still has to be followed for right now.