D1Softball Bracketology: Preseason 2024
Top StoriesCollege softball’s longest-active and premier Bracketologist is bringing his talents to D1Softball. Eric Lopez, who has projected postseason brackets for more than a decade, 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 | 12 | Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, Texas A&M |
| PAC 12 | 7 | Stanford, Washington, Oregon, UCLA, Utah, Arizona, Arizona State |
| ACC | 5 | Florida State, Clemson, Duke, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame |
| Big 12 | 5 | Oklahoma, Texas, Baylor, Oklahoma State, UCF |
| Big Ten | 4 | Nebraska, Minnesota, Northwestern, Indiana |
| American | 3 | Wichita State, Charlotte, North Texas |
| Mountain West | 2 | San Diego State, Boise State |
| Sun Belt | 2 | Louisiana, Texas State |
| ASUN | 1 | Central Arkansas |
| America East | 1 | UMBC |
| A10 | 1 | Saint Louis |
| Big East | 1 | UConn |
| Big Sky | 1 | Idaho State |
| Big South | 1 | Longwood |
| Big West | 1 | Cal State Fullerton |
| CAA | 1 | Campbell |
| Conference USA | 1 | Liberty |
| Horizon League | 1 | Oakland |
| Ivy League | 1 | Harvard |
| MAAC | 1 | Marist |
| MAC | 1 | Miami Ohio |
| MEAC | 1 | NC Central |
| Missouri Valley | 1 | Northern Iowa |
| Northeast | 1 | Saint Francis |
| Ohio Valley | 1 | Eastern Illinois |
| Patriot League | 1 | Boston University |
| SoCon | 1 | UNC Greensboro |
| Southland | 1 | McNeese |
| Summit League | 1 | Omaha |
| SWAC | 1 | Prairie View A&M |
| WAC | 1 | Grand Canyon |
| West Coast | 1 | Loyola Marymount |
At-Large Predictions
In these preseason predictions, eight conferences will get multiple teams into the NCAA tournament. The SEC leads the way with twelve teams in the postseason, followed by the PAC-12 (7), Big 12 (5), ACC (5), and Big Ten (4).
We’re projecting a 3-bid year for the new-look American Conference, including their conference champion and automatic qualifier, with the Mountain West and Sun Belt also receiving multiple bids by the same measure.
For historical comparison, there were five mid-major conferences that received an at-large bid in 2023. The SEC placed 12 teams in that edition of the NCAA tournament, while the PAC-12 and the ACC each placed six teams. The Big 12 and Big Ten were each represented by four teams during last postseason.
The Bubble, Possibly
Last Five In: Texas State, Arizona State, Mississippi State, North Texas, Boise State
First Five Out: California, Ole Miss, Michigan, South Alabama, South Dakota State
Hosting Opportunities
The Locked
- Oklahoma
- Texas
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Stanford
- Nebraska
- Florida State
- Duke
The Loaded
- Clemson
- UCLA
- Washington
The Likelys
- Arkansas
- LSU
- Oregon
- Baylor
- Alabama
The Lingerers
- Oklahoma State
- Louisiana
- Auburn
- Virginia Tech