ESPN to Broadcast Record Number of NCAA Softball Games in 2026
- nicolereitz2
- 3d
- 2 min read
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI
The Division I college softball season is back, and there are over 3,200 games available to watch from home.
ESPN will lead the coverage with nearly 150 matchups across five networks: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, and the ACC Network. The over 3,000 remaining games will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+, SECN+, and ACCNX.
2026 will mark a record-setting number of games on ESPN, with 16 top matchups across the network, while 24 out of ESPN’s/USA Softball’s preseason Top 25 teams will make an appearance on the platform throughout the regular season. Fifty-five of those regular-season games will feature top preseason teams like Texas (14 games), Texas Tech (10 games), Oklahoma (15 games), and Tennessee (15 games).
Top 5 ESPN Matchups to Watch in 2026
Florida State vs. Texas Tech (ESPN2, 1 p.m. ET, Feb. 12)
Tennessee vs. Nebraska (ESPN U, 4 p.m. ET, Feb. 13)
Oklahoma vs. Texas (ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET, April 10)
Arkansas vs. Oklahoma (ESPN2, 8 p.m., April 17)
Florida vs. Florida State (ESPN2, 6 p.m ET, April 22
Action begins on Thursday as ESPN’s softball tournament, the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational, kicks off the season with 16 teams and 40 games across four days.
Conference Championships
For the second year in a row, ESPN will be home to three Conference Championships: the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City, Okla., the ACC Championship in Charlottesville, Va., and the SEC Championship Presented by T-Mobile 5G Home Internet from Lexington, Ky.
Texas Tech took home the Big 12 championship last season, while Oklahoma and Texas A&M split the SEC, and Clemson won its first-ever title.
Women’s College World Series (WCWS)
From the Selection Show to national titles, ESPN is once again the home for the postseason. The WCWS kicks off at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Okla., from May 28 to June 4/5.
ESPN+ Games
ESPN+ will represent a wide range of conferences across 2,600 regular-season games including the American, America East, Atlantic Ten, ASUN, Big 12, Big East, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Conference USA, Horizon League, Ivy League, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley, Patriot League, SoCon, Southland, Sun Belt, West Coast and Western Athletic conferences.
During the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational, ESPN+ will stream teams from the ACC, SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, American, and Sun Belt conferences.
2025 Season on ESPN
The 2025 WCWS broke viewership records, and with access to several more games on TV, the sport is bound to keep growing.
The championship game between the Texas Longhorns and Texas Tech Red Raiders drew an all-time high average of 2.4 million viewers. The series saw a 24 percent increase in viewership over 2024, averaging 1.3 million viewers per game. This outdrew the Men’s College World Series, which saw 1.2 million viewers per game.
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