Big Ten Announces 2026 Softball Tournament Location

Credit: Alex Martin, Detroit Free Press

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.si.com/onsi/softball

For the first time in program history, the University of Maryland is set to host the Big Ten Softball Tournament May 6-9, 2026. 

Built in 2002, the Maryland Softball Stadium offers amenities including seating for over 1,000 fans, dugouts with restrooms, two bullpen areas, four batting cages, light towers for night games, a concession area, a ticket booth, and a press box. 

The playing surface features natural Bermuda grass in the outfield, alongside an electronic scoreboard and ample parking. 

Coming off Maryland’s last win in the Tournament in 2024, where the No.10 Terps upset No. 7 Penn State, the university opened the new Softball Player Development Center in 2025, marking a significant step forward in the growth of the program. 

Development Center Highlights: 

• 5,800 square-foot state-of-the-art facility 

• Student-athletes can train year-round in a climate-controlled environment. 

• Dedicated pitching and hitting areas for development

• Advanced technology to support data-driven training and performance analysis

This project is one of the many as part of Maryland's Building Champions initiative, a campaign that has already completed facilities for the football, field hockey, and women’s lacrosse programs. 

"What's really special about this building is how much work will happen here, not just from us as coaches, but from the players on their own, head coach Lauren Karn said in a press release. “It's going to be a true communal space for years to come. It's not just about this year's team, it's about the next and the one after that. Even as the roster changes, the work will continue in this same place, and that's really meaningful. Having a space right at our field means that even when the weather doesn't cooperate, we can still have efficient, productive practices without hauling equipment across campus. And with the equipment we have here, we're able to do everything we need."

With Karn entering her third season with the Terps in 2026 and her first two years compiling a 42-61 record while coaching two All-Big Ten selections, hosting the Tournament is undoubtedly exciting for the program and a step in a bigger direction.

But members of the media have voiced their concerns on social media over the facility not having enough room to accommodate the press during the regular season, let alone a conference tournament. 

For comparison, Purdue University held the Big Ten Tournament in 2024 at Bittinger Stadium, a facility with a press box that includes media seating, radio and television announce booths, and a game-day operations area. The field even has television-quality lights to allow for night games. 

Is it time for the Big Ten to have requirements for schools to host conference tournaments?