With the opening weekend of the NCAA Division I softball tournament in the books, the number of contenders for the 2024 national championship has been whittled to 16.
Not surprisingly, the Southeastern Conference, after qualifying all 13 of its current softball-playing members for the initial 64-team field, still has ample representation after the double-elimination regional phase.
The SEC will account for seven of the 16 teams moving on to the best-of-three super regional series this week — NCAA overall No. 12 seed Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and South Carolina didn't make it — and the conference could have as many as six of the eight teams that reach the Women's College World Series, which starts May 30 in Oklahoma City.
None of the 16 four-team regionals this past weekend included more than one SEC team, but there is one head-to-head matchup of league members in this week's Knoxville Super Regional as No. 3 seed Tennessee hosts No. 14 seed Alabama.
The Austin Super Regional, though, will involve a future SEC member tangling with a current one as top-seeded Texas hosts No. 16 Texas A&M. Texas is moving from the Big 12 to the SEC this summer, and the Longhorns will be joined in that transition by Oklahoma, which is the No. 2 seed and the three-time reigning NCAA champion.
Oklahoma's quest to return to the Women's College World Series for the eighth year in a row continues at home, with the Norman Super Regional a rematch of the 2023 WCWS finals as No. 15 seed Florida State of the Atlantic Coast Conference visits.
In addition to Alabama, Tennessee and Texas A&M, the SEC's super regional qualifiers are No. 4 seed Florida, No. 7 Missouri, No. 9 LSU and No. 11 Georgia. Missouri and Georgia both had to win twice on Sunday in their regional championship matchups to avoid elimination.
The Big 12 still has four teams in the tournament, with the Longhorns and Sooners joined by No. 5 Oklahoma State and Baylor.
The Pac-12 has three representatives remaining in a last hurrah for the league that has dominated college softball across the decades. No. 6 UCLA, No. 8 Stanford and Arizona are in the super regionals, but none of those teams will be in the Pac-12 next season, when only Oregon and Oregon State remain members of the conference. UCLA is moving to the Big Ten, Stanford to the ACC and Arizona to the Big 12.
In addition to Florida State, the ACC has No. 10 Duke, the league champion, still in the NCAA field.
Compiled by Marty Kirkland. Contact him at mkirkland@timesfreepress.com.
AP photo by Nick Tre. Smith / Missouri outfielder Alex Honnold throws the ball back toward the infield after making a catch for an out against visiting Omaha during an NCAA regional game Friday in Columbia.NCAA DIVISION I SOFTBALL SUPER REGIONALS
All times Eastern; all series best-of-three; x-if necessary
Host school is home team for Game 1; visiting school is home team for Game 2; coin flip determines home team for Game 3.
Super regional winners advance to the Women's College World Series starting May 30 in Oklahoma City.
AUSTIN SUPER REGIONAL
At Austin, Texas
Friday, May 24: No. 1 Texas (48-7) vs. No. 16 Texas A&M (41-13), 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 25: Texas vs. Texas A&M, 6 p.m.
x-Sunday, May 26: Texas vs. Texas A&M, TBA
NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL
At Norman, Okla.
Thursday, May 23: No. 2 Oklahoma (50-6) vs. No. 15 Florida State (45-14), 7 p.m.
Friday, May 24: Oklahoma vs. Florida State, 8 p.m.
x-Saturday, May 25: Oklahoma vs. Florida State., TBA
KNOXVILLE SUPER REGIONAL
At Knoxville
Friday, May 24: No. 3 Tennessee (41-10) vs. No. 14 Alabama (34-17), 4 p.m.
Saturday, May 25: Tennessee vs. Alabama, 3 p.m.
x-Sunday, May 26: Tennessee vs. Alabama, TBA
GAINESVILLE SUPER REGIONAL
At Gainesville, Fla.
Friday, May 24: No. 4 Florida (47-12) vs. Baylor (34-21), noon
Saturday, May 25: Florida vs. Baylor, 11 a.m.
x-Sunday, May 26: Florida vs. Baylor, TBA
STILLWATER SUPER REGIONAL
At Stillwater, Okla.
Friday, May 24: No. 5 Oklahoma State (45-10) vs. Arizona (35-16-1), 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 25: Oklahoma State vs. Arizona, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday, May 26: Oklahoma State vs. Arizona, TBA
LOS ANGELES SUPER REGIONAL
At Los Angeles
Thursday, May 23: No. 6 UCLA (38-10) vs. No. 11 Georgia (40-16), 9 p.m.
Friday, May 24: UCLA vs. Georgia, 10 p.m.
x-Saturday, May 25: UCLA vs. Georgia, TBA
COLUMBIA SUPER REGIONAL
At Columbia, Mo.
Friday, May 24: No. 7 Missouri (45-16) vs. No. 10 Duke (48-6), 2 p.m.
Saturday, May 25: Missouri vs. Duke, 1 p.m.
x-Sunday, May 26: Missouri vs. Duke, TBA
STANFORD SUPER REGIONAL
At Stanford, Calif.
Friday, May 24: No. 8 Stanford (43-13) vs. No. 9 LSU (41-15), 10 p.m.
Saturday, May 25: Stanford vs. LSU, 9 p.m.
x-Sunday, May 26: Stanford vs. LSU, TBA