Since the Oklahoma Sooners made history last season by winning a fourth consecutive softball national championship, so much has changed in the world of collegiate sports.

We’ve been through the first 12-team Division I football playoffs. The once-powerful Pac-12 had a mass exodus and the Southeastern Conference now is home to the top three softball teams in the country.

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• College Softball Preseason All-Americans 2025. Here's Both Lists

What once was the Power 5 conferences – the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and Pac-12 – now is reduced to a Power 4, with most looking far different than even a year ago

Regardless of where your affiliation lies, it may be strange seeing Texas and Oklahoma seeded into the bracket at the SEC Tournament, a move that undoubtedly was a blow to the quality of Big 12 softball.

Or the winningest program in history – UCLA – needing its quest for a record-extending 13th national title to go through the 17-team Big Ten Conference.

Or Stanford and Cal having to travel more than 2,300 miles for some conference games and more than 3,000 miles for their next conference tournament.

The latter being the result of changes to the ACC, perhaps the least-impacted conference of the bunch.

The ACC had 13 teams for the 2024 collegiate softball season. None left. But Stanford and Cal moved over from the decimated Pac-12 to increase the number to 15. Southern Methodist also joined the ACC, but SMU doesn’t have a softball program. 

Looking ahead to the 2025 softball season, what does all the change and movement mean for the ACC? Probably not much right now, except for some additional frequent flyer miles. 

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.

How Was The ACC’s Showing In The Preseason Polls?

The ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 was released at the end of January, and the results certainly seemed to reflect the changes in the college sports landscape. 

The poll was SEC-heavy, with 11 teams making the top 25 and four more teams receiving votes. 

The rest of the new Power 4 fell in line as could be expected, with five teams from the ACC, five from the Big Ten and four Big 12 schools making the top 25. 

The ACC teams that will begin the season ranked are Duke (No. 8), Florida State (No. 12), Virginia Tech (No. 18), Cal (No. 21) and Stanford (T22). Virginia and Clemson received votes.

That's just one of the major polls. See what else is happening below.

Read more: College Softball Rankings – Here’s The NFCA Preseason Coaches Poll

The 2025 D1Softball Preseason Top 25 also came out recently. It was slightly different but featured the same three teams on top, though they were in a different order – Florida, Texas, Oklahoma. 

Only four ACC teams made the cut, however – Duke (No. 7), Florida State (No. 8), Virginia Tech (No. 16), Stanford (No. 22) – with Virginia receiving votes.

A Closer Look At ACC Softball For 2025

Along with the national analysts and voters doing their thing, the ACC softball coaches offered their thoughts on how they expected the year to shake out within the ACC.

Duke was the far-and-away favorite, earning 11 of the 15 first-place votes to land at the top of the 2025 ACC Softball Preseason Poll, the first such honor for the Blue Devils, who burst onto the softball scene in 2018.

It would’ve been hard to argue against the incredible season the Blue Devils had in 2024 (more below) and not to expect that momentum to continue in 2025.

Florida State landed at No. 2 on the ACC poll, earning the other four first-place votes. 

The conference also unveiled the Preseason All-ACC Softball Team. 

2025 ACC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll

1. Duke - 193 points (11)
2. Florida State - 183 points (4)
3. Virginia Tech - 165 points
4. Stanford - 143 points
5. Virginia - 140 points
6. California - 130 points
7. Clemson - 126 points
8. Georgia Tech - 87 points
9. North Carolina - 85 points
10. Louisville - 73 points
11. Notre Dame - 72 points
12. Boston College - 66 points
13. NC State - 65 points
14. Syracuse - 31 points
15. Pitt - 16 points

2025 Softball Preseason All-ACC Team

Infield

• Elon Butler, California
• Maddie Moore, Clemson
• Aminah Vega, Duke
• Jaysoni Beachum, Florida State
• Jade Hylton, Virginia

Outfield

• D’Auna Jennings, Duke
•  Jahni Kerr, Florida State
• Alex Coleman, North Carolina
• Emily Jones, Stanford

Pitcher

• Cassidy Curd, Duke
• Eden Bigham, Virginia
•  Emma Lemley, Virginia Tech

Catcher

• Michaela Edenfield, Florida State
• Designated Player/Utility
• Cori McMillan, Virginia Tech

What Happened In The ACC In 2024?

In 2024, Duke won the regular-season ACC title for the first time, going 20-4 in conference play and finishing just ahead of Florida State and Virginia Tech. The successful run also earned the Blue Devils the No. 1 seed for the ACC Softball Championship for the first time in the program’s short history.

The tournament turned out similar, with Duke defeating Florida State to win its second ACC tournament championship in three opportunities. 

FSU won the event six consecutive times from 2014-2019, and COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the 2020 championship. 

When play resumed in 2021, Duke landed on top, with Florida State reclaiming the crown in 2022 and 2023. 

FSU has won the tournament a record 19 times, with Georgia Tech next on the list with five victories, while Duke, which began play in 2018, is tied at two with NC State and Virginia Tech.

As one of the most powerful conferences in sports, it should be no surprise that five ACC teams advanced to the 2024 NCAA Softball Championship. Those squads were Duke, FSU, Clemson, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Duke went the furthest of the teams, advancing to the eight-team NCAA Women’s College World Series for the first time. Consecutive losses to Oklahoma and Alabama meant a quick exit for the Blue Devils, who finished the 2024 season with a program-record 52-9 performance for the year.

The 2025 ACC Softball Championship will take place May 7-10 at the Harrington Athletics Village in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. 

One ACC Team Will Compete At 2025 Puerto Vallarta College Challenge

Florida State won’t waste any time testing itself in the 2025 collegiate softball season, as the Seminoles will kick off the new campaign in Mexico for the 2025 Puerto Vallarta College Challenge.

The event will take place across two weekends – Feb. 6-9 and Feb. 13-16 – with all games being played at the famed Nancy Almaraz Stadium in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. All of the games will be broadcast live on FloSoftball.

The first session of the 2025 Puerto Vallarta College Challenge will include Florida State, Louisiana Tech, Northern Colorado and Oklahoma State.

The second week of action will feature Boise State, BYU, Florida International, Illinois State, Indiana and North Dakota State.

The complete schedule for the PVCC is listed below.

Two ACC Teams Will Compete At 2025 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic 

Cal and Duke will be among the 31 teams at the prestigious Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, California.

The event is an annual opportunity for teams to test themselves against some of the top teams in the country, while honing their skills against talented nonconference opponents. 

The 2025 Mary Nutter will be played over four days in the California sunshine and take place at the Big League Dreams Complex, which has five fields available. 

Where Are The Other Top ACC Teams Starting The 2025 Season?

Along with the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, there are many other early-season tournaments and invitationals that allow teams to see parts of the country and opposition they won’t face during the regular season.

Virginia Tech Softball

No. 17 Virginia Tech with open its 2025 season with four special events. 

The first will be the Charleston Invitational in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (Feb. 7-9). 

That will be followed by a single game against Elon (Feb. 11), the Purple & Gold Classic in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Feb. 14-16), the Easton Bama Bash in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Feb. 21-23), one game against Liberty (Feb. 26) and the Hokie Invite in Salem, Virginia (Feb. 28-March 2).

Stanford Softball

No. 18 Stanford will open the year at home with the Stanford Invitational (Feb. 6-9) and Cardinal Classic (Feb. 14-16). 

The team’s first road trip will be the Hillenbrand Invitational in Tucson, Arizona (Feb. 20-23). 

The Cardinal won’t waste any time getting the year’s first mileage run, as ACC play gets underway Feb. 28 against Georgia Tech in Atlanta. 

Clemson Softball

No. 25 Clemson will get the year going at in the Sunshine State, as the Tigers will participate in the Paradise Classic in Boca Raton, Florida (Feb. 6-9).

A home game against Furman on Feb. 11 will be followed by the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational in Clearwater, Florida (Feb. 13-16). Then, it’s back home for one game against Charlotte, followed by the Clemson Classic (Feb. 21-23).

More About ACC Softball In 2025

In 2025, the ACC softball standings will include Boston College, California, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, NC State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Pitt, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

How To Watch the 2025 Puerto Vallarta College Challenge

Watch the 2025 Puerto Vallarta College Challenge on FloSoftball and the FloSports App.

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

FloSoftball will be streaming several other NCAA Division I College Softball tournaments, including the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Rocket City Softball Showcase, FAU Paradise Classic and the FAU Joan Joyce Classic.

2025 PVCC Team List - Session 1:

• Florida State
• Louisiana Tech
• Northern Colorado
• Oklahoma State

2025 PVCC Team List - Session 2:

• Boise State
• BYU
• Florida International
• Illinois State
• Indiana
• North Dakota State

When Is The Puerto Vallarta Softball Tournament?

Session 1 for PVCC will take place Feb. 6-9, followed by Session 2 from Feb. 13-16.

Where Is The Puerto Vallarta Softball Tournament?  

The Puerto Vallarta College Challenge is being held at Nancy Almaraz Stadium in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Puerto Vallarta College Challenge 2025 Schedule

All Times Central

PVCC Session 1

Feb. 6

• 10 a.m. – Florida State vs. Oklahoma State
• 1 p.m. – Florida State vs. Northern Colorado
• 4 p.m. – Northern Colorado vs. LA Tech

Feb. 7

• 1 p.m. – Florida State vs. LA Tech
• 4 p.m. – Oklahoma State vs. LA Tech
• 7 p.m. – Northern Colorado vs. Oklahoma State

Feb. 8

• 1 p.m. – LA Tech vs. Northern Colorado
• 4 p.m. – LA Tech vs. Florida State
• 7 p.m. – Oklahoma State vs. Florida State

PVCC Session 2 

Feb. 12

• Noon – North Dakota State vs. BYU

Feb. 13

• 10 a.m. – Florida International vs. Boise State
• 1 p.m. – Florida International vs. North Dakota State
• 4 p.m. – BYU vs. Illinois State
• 7 p.m. – Indiana vs. North Dakota State

Feb. 14

• 10 a.m. – Florida International vs. Illinois State
• 12:30 p.m. – Florida International vs. North Dakota State
• 3 p.m. – Illinois State vs. Indiana
• 6 p.m. – Boise State vs. Indiana
• 8:30 p.m. – Boise State vs. BYU

Feb. 15

• 10 a.m. – Illinois State vs. North Dakota State
• 1 p.m. – Indiana vs. BYU
• 4 p.m. – BYU vs. Florida International
• 7 p.m. – Boise State vs. Florida International

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. 

Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic 2025 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

FloSoftball Archived Footage

Video footage from the event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloSoftball subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

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