The quest for national titles in college softball will begin in early February for three levels of NCAA competition, and FloSoftball will have coverage all season.

Many eyes will be on the talented squad from the University of Oklahoma, which will enter the 2025 campaign as the four-time defending national champion, but those voting on the year's initial ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll selected Texas, last year's national runner-up, as the No. 1-ranked Division I team in the country. 

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Though Oklahoma has the nation's top-ranked recruiting class and a bright outlook for the 2026 season, some may consider the Sooners in a bit of a rebuilding phase after winning the 2024 national title with a senior-heavy roster.

So, two of last year's national semifinals - Texas and Florida - land at the top of the poll, with Oklahoma taking the No. 3 spot to begin the 2025 campaign.

Texas was 55-10 last season, a program record for wins, but the Longhorns saw the year come to the end with consecutive losses to Oklahoma in the championship series of the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Like many teams across the college softball landscape, Tennessee, Florida and Oklahoma - all 50-win teams in 2024 - will kick off the 2025 season during the first 10 days of February. 

As always, many teams will opt for tournament play, which will allow them to shake off the rust in a warm or tropical climate and against teams they might not see otherwise during the regular season.

When Does Division I College Softball Start?

Division I softball teams can begin practicing on whichever date was later - Sept. 1 or the first day of classes for the fall semester (or Sept. 15 for schools that start later) - and their seasons typically are divided into two segments, nonchampionship and championship, though they’re limited to 132 total days of competition. 

The nonchampionship segment allows 45 consecutive days for play to take place during September, October and November, with restrictions on how many hours student-athletes can spend each week doing sports-related activities.

During this period, teams are allowed eight contests (games and scrimmages), but they must travel by ground, unless there are no other Division I schools within 400 miles. These contests do not count as official games on their records.

As an example, reigning national champion Oklahoma had a fall schedule in 2024 that included five games against outside opponents and three intrasquad scrimmages in a novelty format. 

Last year’s national runner-up, Texas, played five games during October. The schedule included a round-robin tournament with St. Edwards University and McLennan Community College, followed by games against Texas State, Texas A&M and Our Lady of the Lake.

In 2025, the championship segment of the Division I season officially will get underway Feb. 6 and allow a maximum of 56 contests before postseason play.

On the way to the Division I national championship in 2024, Oklahoma played 66 total games, compiling a 59-7 record. 

Want More? Check out the 2025 D1Softball Preseason Top 25, which has Florida at No. 1, Texas at No. 2 and Oklahoma at No. 3.

Oklahoma’s latest title defense will begin on the road Feb. 6 against San Diego State. Texas will begin the new campaign Feb. 7 at the Louisiana Classic in Lafayette, Louisiana. Florida will kick things off at home against North Florida on Feb. 6.

FloSoftball's early-season live coverage will include many individual games and all of the sport's top tournaments, including the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Rocket City Softball Showcase, FAU Paradise Classic and the FAU Joan Joyce Classic.

When Does Division II College Softball Start?

Softball teams in Division II were not permitted to begin practicing for the championship segment of the 2025 season before Jan. 10 or the first day of classes, whichever came first. Their first competition with outside competition may not happen prior to Feb. 1.

Division II teams also have the option for a nonchampionship fall schedule that can take place between Sept. 7 (or the fourth day of classes) and Nov. 15.

Because of when Feb. 1 falls in 2025, many teams will begin play Jan. 31, including reigning Division II national champion, the University of Texas at Tyler, which will be playing in the 2025 DII First Pitch Invitational in Conroe, Texas.

Teams in Division II may play a maximum of 56 contests, not counting the postseason.

On the way to the national title in 2024, UT Tyler played 66 games, posting a 58-8 record overall. That includes wins of 3-0 and 10-1 over Western Washington to secure the national title. 

It was the second national championship for the Patriots, who claimed the Division III title in 2016.

When Division III Softball Start?

In Division III, teams may practice as early as September, though there are restrictions on how many hours/days each week players can practice/play.

Teams at this level play less games, with there being a limit of 40 (games, scrimmages, exhibitions), before the conference and national tournaments. 

On the way to the Division III national title in 2024, East Texas Baptist was 48-3, which included 14 postseason games. 

The Tigers will begin their 2025 campaign with a doubleheader against Concordia on Feb. 1.  

Another example, last year’s Division III runner-up – Belhaven (47-10 in 2024) – won't kick off its 2025 season until a Feb. 14 doubleheader against LeTourneau. 

What Is The NCAA Women’s College World Series?

The NCAA Division I Softball Championship each spring (late May into June) begins with the year’s best Division I softball teams situated into a 64-team bracket. The announcement of the teams and finalization of the bracket for 2025 will take place in the day's leading up to the start of regional play May 16. 

Through regional and super-regional play, the field is whittled down to eight final teams. The winners from the 16 four-team regionals (double-elimination format) advance to the super-regional round, where two teams (at eight locations) battle in best-of-three series.

The eight remaining teams move on to the final round of the postseason, known formally as the NCAA Women’s College World Series. This phrasing is used exclusively for Division I, and this portion of the postseason takes place USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium – OGE Energy Field in Oklahoma City each year. 

When Was The First NCAA Women’s College World Series?

Though there previously was a women’s collegiate softball championship from 1969-1981, softball didn’t officially receive NCAA recognition until the 1981-1982 school year, when it was one of 12 women’s sports added to the NCAA championship program. 

Based on that formality, the Women’s College World Series, as it is known today, crowned its first champion in 1982. The honor of that first title went to UCLA, which defeated Fresno State for the first of its record 12 softball national championships. 

The first six editions of the WCWS were contested in Omaha, Nebraska (1982-1987), followed by Sunnyvale, California (1988-1989). With the exception of 1996, when it traveled to the softball venue for the Olympic Games in the Atlanta area, the WCWS has been held in Oklahoma City each year since 1990.

UCLA leads all teams with its 12 national titles, including three consecutive from 1988-1990. The most recent came in 2019.

Arizona and Oklahoma are second in victories with eight. 

In 2023, Oklahoma became the second team to win three straight titles. In 2024, the Sooners became the first team to win four in a row. 

When Is The 2025 NCAA Women’s College World Series?

In 2025, the final eight teams in Division I softball will converge on Oklahoma City from May 29-June 6, though the final day may not be necessary.

Oklahoma defeated Texas 2-0 in the best-of-three finale in 2024 (8-3, 8-4).

What Does The Postseason Look Like For Division II And Division III?

Division II and Division III also have season-ending bracket-style tournaments, but the Women’s College World Series name and longstanding location are reserved for Division I.

In Division II softball, 64 teams are seeded into the bracket, and double-elimination regional events are held at 16 regional sites across the country. This all begins to unfold in May.

The 16 regional champions move on to compete across eight super regionals, with each featuring two teams and a best-of-three format. 

The eight remaining teams advance to the national finals, which includes two four-team brackets and a location that changes based on a bid process. This round traditionally is held on the fourth weekend of May and ends with a best-of-three series between the last two teams. 

In 2025, the final portion of the Division II Softball Championship will be held at Frost Stadium at Warner Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee, from May 22-28.

In 2024, the event concluded in Longwood, Florida. In 2019, 2021 and 2022 (the 2020 event was canceled due to COVID-19), Denver played host.

The NCAA Division II Softball Championship first was held in 1982 to conclude softball’s first season as part of the NCAA program. 

Sam Houston State won the inaugural Division II national championship, while UT Tyler won the most recent.

When Division III debuted its championship in 1982, Eastern Connecticut State came out on top. The defending champion in 2025 is East Texas Baptist. 

The current version of the NCAA Division III Softball Championship includes 62 teams, with four teams at 15 regional events and two teams at the last one, competing in a double-elimination format. 

As with Division II, the 16 regional winners in Division III action advance to the super-regional round, where best-of-three series at eight sites determine the eight teams that will head to the neutral, and rotating finals site.

In 2025, the Division III softball national champion will be determined at Inspiration Field in Bloomington, Illinois. This portion of the event will take place May 29-June 4. 

The final round for Division III in 2024 was held in Marshall, Texas, following a visit to Marshall in 2023 and back-to-back trips to Salem, Virginia. 

East Texas Baptist downed Belhaven in last year’s best-of-three final, 2-1 (3-4, 8-2, 9-5).

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