The Big Ten softball tournament is the conference championship tournament in softball for the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference. The winner of the tournament receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I softball tournament.
History The Big Ten softball tournament began in 1982 and then took a hiatus until the tournament was reinstated in 1995. The tournament was held from 1995–2008 until the Big Ten switched back to using the regular season champion for the automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament. The Big Ten reinstated the conference tournament in 2013 and has been held at the conclusion of the regular season ever since. Tournaments held in 1982 and 1995–2003 used a double elimination format. Tournaments from 2004–2008 and 2013–present have used a single elimination format.
The inaugural tournament in 1982 included Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Ohio State, which were the only Big Ten schools with varsity softball programs at the time. Penn State started Big Ten play in 1992 after a few years of independence and playing in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Purdue began their program in 1995, followed by Wisconsin in 1996 and Illinois in 2001. Nebraska left the Big 12 Conference and joined the Big Ten for the 2012 season, and then Maryland and Rutgers came on board in 2015 from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East Conference, respectively.
When USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington join the Big Ten Conference for the 2024–25 school year, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington will begin league play for the 2025 season. As of 2022, USC does not have a softball program nor any intention of starting one up after performing a study around 2002.
Champions
By year Year School Site 1982 Wilpon Complex • Ann Arbor, MI 1995 Wilpon Complex • Ann Arbor, MI 1996 Wilpon Complex • Ann Arbor, MI 1997 Pearl Field • Iowa City, IA 1998 Wilpon Complex • Ann Arbor, MI 1999 Wilpon Complex • Ann Arbor, MI 2000 Pearl Field • Iowa City, IA 2001 Wilpon Complex • Ann Arbor, MI 2002 Wilpon Complex • Ann Arbor, MI 2003 Pearl Field • Iowa City, IA 2004 Wilpon Complex • Ann Arbor, MI 2005 Michigan Wilpon Complex • Ann Arbor, MI 2006 Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL 2007 Buckeye Field • Columbus, OH 2008 Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL 2013 Bowlin Stadium • Lincoln, NE 2014 Drysdale Field • Evanston, IL 2015 Michigan Buckeye Field • Columbus, OH 2016 Beard Field • State College, PA 2017 Alumni Field • Ann Arbor, MI 2018 Goodman Softball Complex • Madison, WI 2019 Andy Mohr Field • Bloomington, IN 2020Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2021 2022 Secchia Stadium • East Lansing, MI 2023 Eichelberger Field • Champaign, IL 2024 Michigan Pearl Field • Iowa City, IA 2025 Michigan Bittinger Stadium • West Lafayette, IN 2026 Nebraska Robert E. Taylor Stadium • College Park, MD
By school School Titles Years won First year in Tournament Began Big Ten Play Michigan 12 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2015, 2019, 2024, 2025 1982 1982 Minnesota 5 1999, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 1982 1982 Northwestern 3 1982, 2008, 2023 1982 1982 Iowa 2 2001, 2003 1982 1982 Nebraska 2 2022, 2026 2013 2012 Michigan State 1 2004 1982 1982 Ohio State 1 2007 1982 1982 Wisconsin 1 2013 2000 1996 Illinois 0 – 2001 2001 Indiana 0 – 1982 1982 Maryland 0 – 2015 2015 Penn State 0 – 1999 1992 Purdue 0 – 1997 1995 Rutgers 0 – 2015 2015 Oregon 0 – 2025 2025 UCLA 0 – 2025 2025 Washington 0 – 2025 2025
See also List of Big Ten Conference softball champions
References
External links