The Howard University softball team has been getting progressively better in recent years, and the Bison will take their talents west in 2025 as one of more than 30 teams playing in the latest edition of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

The Bison had a memorable season last year, winning 32 games, but the year ended earlier than the team would’ve liked with a quick exit from their conference tournament. 

The new Howard schedule will see the team travel as far as Hawaii, before action returns to the East Coast from March through early May.

The latest edition of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic will take place Feb. 20-23.

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Howard has had some up-and-down years over the last two decades, but recent improvement saw the Bison pick up a win in the 2022 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Softball Championship, the team’s first victory since 2007. Both came with a trip to the NCAA Division I Softball Championship.  

The 2007 season included more than 30 wins, and 2008 was a winning year, too, but then came the struggles. 

From the 2011-2012 season through 2020, the Bison did not have a winning season. That changed in 2021 (17-13) and continued to be a trend in 2022 (31-24), though 2023 was a struggle (20-26).

The team celebrated 25 years of action during the 2024 campaign, and though the year ended abruptly, it happened in memorable fashion. The Bison were 32-13 overall and 16-5 in MEAC play. The season concluded with a loss to South Carolina State on the second day of the 2024 MEAC Tournament. 

Prior to the cross-country trip to California for the Mary Nutter, Howard’s 2025 season will begin with the Runnin’ Bulldog Classic in Boiling Springs, North Carolina (Feb. 7-8) and the HBCU Collegiate Invitational in Atlanta (Feb. 14-16).

Then, it’s time for the MNCC.

The 2025 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic will feature 31 teams, headlined by Tennessee, Nebraska and Utah. Howard will face Duke, San Jose State, Nebraska, Long Beach State and Loyola Marymount.

The Mary Nutter will take place from Feb. 20-23 at the unique Big League Dreams Complex, which has five fields available for the event.

Here’s everything you need to know about Howard at the 2025 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic:

How To Watch The Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic 2025

Watch the 2025 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on FloSoftball and the FloSports App.

Replays of the games, highlights and more breaking news will be on both platforms.

Howard Softball’s Matchups For The 2025 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

All Times Eastern

Friday, Feb. 21

• 6:30 p.m. – Howard vs. Duke
• 11:30 p.m. – Howard vs. San Jose State

Saturday, Feb. 22

• 11 p.m. – Howard vs. Nebraska

Sunday, Feb. 23

1. 2:30 p.m. – Howard vs. Long Beach State
2. 4:30 p.m. – Howard vs. LMU

2025 Mary Nutter Team List

As of Sept. 4, 2024

• Arkansas
• Baylor
• Bethune Cookman
• BYU
• Cal-Berkeley
• Cal State Fullerton
• CSUN
• Duke
• Fresno State
• Hawai’i
• Howard University
• Long Beach State
• Loyola Marymount University
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• Northwestern
• Oregon
• Oregon State
• Rutgers
• Saint Mary’s College
• San Diego State
• San Jose State
• Seattle
• Tennessee
• UC Santa Barbara
• UCLA
• UC Riverside
• Utah
• Washington

When Is The 2025 Mary Nutter Softball Tournament?

The 2025 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic will take place Feb. 20-23.

Games begin Thursday and culminate with the final games on Sunday. 

Where Is The 2025 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic?  

The Mary Nutter Classic returns to the Big League Dreams Complex in Cathedral City, California. The complex has five fields available. 

Complete 2025 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Schedule

All Times Eastern

Thursday, Feb. 20

Wrigley Field

• 12:30 p.m. – Rutgers vs. Arkansas
• 3 p.m. – Cal State Fullerton vs. Arkansas
• 5:30 p.m. – Nebraska vs. Baylor
• 8 p.m. – Missouri vs. UCLA
• 10:30 p.m. – Nebraska vs. UCLA

Yankee Stadium

• 1 p.m. – California vs. Oregon
• 3:30 p.m. – Tennessee vs. Oregon 
• 6 p.m. – Tennessee vs. Oregon State
• 8:30 p.m. – Washington vs. BYU
• 11 p.m. – Washington vs. UC Riverside

Fenway Park

• 1 p.m. – Nevada vs. Baylor
• 3:30 p.m. – Rutgers vs. Missouri
• 6 p.m. – Bethune-Cookman vs. Nevada
• 8:30 p.m. – Bethune-Cookman vs. UC Riverside
• 11 p.m. – CSUN vs. BYU

Des Moines Field

• 6 p.m. – California vs. Cal State Fullerton
• 8:30 p.m. – CSUN vs. Oregon State

Friday, Feb. 21

Wrigley Field

• 1:30 p.m. – Rutgers vs. Tennessee
• 4 p.m. – Duke vs. Nebraska
• 6:30 p.m. – Tennessee vs. UCLA
• 9 p.m. – Arkansas vs. Loyola Marymount
• 11:30 p.m. – California vs. Washington

Yankee Stadium

• 1 p.m. – Missouri vs. Baylor
• 3:30 p.m. – Missouri vs. Minnesota
• 6 p.m. – BYU vs. Hawai'i
• 8:30 p.m. – BYU vs. UC Santa Barbara
• 11 p.m. – Oregon State vs. UC Santa Barbara

Fenway Park

• 1:30 p.m. – Oregon vs. Utah
• 4 p.m. – Oregon vs. San Diego State
• 6:30 p.m. – Howard vs. Duke
• 9 p.m. – Northwestern vs. Seattle
• 11:30 p.m. – Howard vs. San Jose State

Des Moines Field

• 1 p.m. – Fresno State vs. Minnesota
• 3:30 p.m. – Fresno State vs. Seattle
• 6 p.m. – Long Beach State vs. Utah
• 8:30 p.m. – Nevada vs. UC Riverside
• 11 p.m. – Nevada vs. Hawai'i

Pawtucket Field

• 1 p.m. – Cal State Fullerton vs. Bethune-Cookman
• 3:30 p.m. – Rutgers vs. Bethune-Cookman
• 6 p.m. – Cal State Fullerton vs. Saint Mary’s
• 8:30 p.m. – San Jose State vs. CSUN
• 11 p.m. – Saint Mary’s vs. CSUN

Saturday, Feb. 22

Wrigley Field

• 1 p.m. – Baylor vs. Arkansas
• 3:30 p.m. – Baylor vs. UCLA
• 6 p.m. – Arkansas vs. UCLA
• 8:30 p.m. – San Jose State vs. Nebraska
• 11 p.m. – Howard vs. Nebraska

Yankee Stadium

• 12:30 p.m. – Oregon vs. Missouri
• 3 p.m. – Utah vs. Cal State Fullerton
• 5:30 p.m. – Utah vs. Northwestern 
• 8 p.m. – Saint Mary’s vs. Northwestern
• 10:30 p.m. – Saint Mary’s vs. Hawai'i

Fenway Park

• 12:30 p.m. – BYU vs. Duke
• 3 p.m. – Minnesota vs. Duke
• 5:30 p.m. – Minnesota vs. Tennessee
• 8 p.m. – UC Riverside vs. Rutgers
• 10:30 p.m. – UC Santa Barbara vs. Washington

Des Moines Field

• 12:30 p.m. – Seattle vs. Long Beach State
• 3 p.m. – Oregon State vs. Long Beach State
• 5:30 p.m. – Oregon State vs. Rutgers
• 8 p.m. – UC Santa Barbara vs. San Diego State
• 10:30 p.m. – UC Riverside vs. San Diego State

Pawtucket Field

• 12:30 p.m. – Bethune-Cookman vs. Fresno State
• 3 p.m. – CSU vs. Nevada
• 5:30 p.m. – Seattle vs. California
• 8 p.m. – Loyola Marymount vs. California
• 10:30 p.m. – Loyola Marymount vs. San Jose State

Sunday, Feb. 23

Wrigley Field

• Noon – Duke vs. UCLA
• 2 p.m. – Nebraska vs. Utah
• 4 p.m. – San Diego State vs. Hawai'i

Yankee Stadium

• 12:30 p.m. – Washington vs. Fresno State
• 2:30 p.m. – Hawai'i vs. Loyola Marymount
• 4:30 p.m. – Howard vs. Loyola Marymount

Fenway Park

• Noon – Northwestern vs. California
• 2 p.m. – San Diego State vs. Saint Mary’s

Des Moines Field

• 12:30 p.m. – Long Beach State vs. Minnesota
• 2:30 p.m. – Long Beach State vs. Howard

Pawtucket Field

• Noon – Seattle vs. Oregon State
• 2 p.m. – San Jose State vs. UC Santa Barbara

About Big League Dreams Cathedral City

The Big League Dreams Sports Parks are scattered throughout the United States and provide recreational and tournament players of all ages the chance to compete on world-class fields, often built as replicas of famous stadiums from the storied history of Major League Baseball.

Along with the nostalgic fields, the Big League Dreams venues include a restaurant and bar, batting cages, play area for children, stadium seating and space for other sports (hockey, soccer, sand volleyball), events and competitions. 

Big League Dreams Cathedral City was the first of the eight BLD properties to open, doing so in 1998. The park includes five fields. Among them, Boston’s Fenway Park, Chicago’s Wrigley Field and New York’s Yankee Stadium.

Who Was Mary Nutter?

Mary Nutter was an All-American softball player and a pioneer in the sport. 

She was a coach at Pittsburgh State and was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1988 and the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1997.

Nutter died in 2012. 

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