NISC Postseason Event Canceled in 2024
NewsThe National Invitational Softball Championship (NISC) event has been canceled for the 2024 postseason.
Positioned as a secondary postseason tournament, similar to the NIT in basketball, the NISC began in 2017; the 2024 event would have been the sixth iteration of the event. The long-term future of the NISC will be determined in the fall.
BYU and Iowa played for the tournament championship in 2023, with the Big Ten’s Hawkeyes emerging as champions. For the last several years, the event was hosted at the headquarters of Triple Crown Sports in Fort Collins, Colorado.
A press release on the event’s cancellation, issued by Triple Crown Sports on Saturday, is below:
“The 2024 D-I National Invitational Softball Championship, scheduled to be played in Fort Collins, Colo., on May 16-19, 2024 at the headquarters facility of Triple Crown Sports has been canceled. The 2024 event lacked sufficient team demand to move forward.
The inaugural Postseason NISC was held in 2017 and won by Liberty University. Other past champions are Loyola Marymount, UT Arlington, Baylor and Iowa. More than 70 D-I institutions have participated during that time.
The current financial structure behind NCAA women’s sports and in particular softball does not adequately provide the financial means for the teams to cover their portion of this event. Over the past seven years, Triple Crown has restructured the NISC format, enhanced its permanent facility to better host the event and subsidized over $800,000 in expenses and travel for teams to attend the tournament. The long-term future of the NISC is in question at this time.
Tournament Director David King stated the event itself had produced positive postseason exposure, competition and experience for numerous teams that did not make NCAA championship play. The skill level of the student-athletes and the competition was outstanding each and every year with many of the teams progressing on to the NCAA Championships in following seasons.
“We are deeply saddened to announce this news, as Triple Crown Sports went into every year excited about the NISC and eager to deliver a championship product that properly rewarded quality teams and acknowledged the depth of talent in the sport,” King said. “A major upgrade in our fields and facilities at TCS has been made, and we feel confident it’s one of the best-executed two-plex sites in the country. These investments are a source of pride; it’s beyond unfortunate that the softball market has been unable to clear a path where another postseason event could find solid footing.”
The NISC was modeled after the successful Postseason WNIT in D-I basketball (which just celebrated its 26th year) and the Women’s NIVC in D-I volleyball, which started in 2017. Both events are produced by Triple Crown Sports.
Over the past few years, D-I women’s basketball and volleyball have displayed better institutional funding support and a stronger desire for additional postseason opportunities. Triple Crown Sports will continue to produce those two highly successful events. Triple Crown Sports, in conjunction, with the NCAA D-I softball market, will continue to discuss the long-term future of the NISC. A decision about the future of this event will be made by early fall of 2024.”