The 2024 NCAA Division I softball season, play of college softball in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level, began in February 2024. The season progressed through the regular season, many conference tournaments and championship series, and concluded with the 2024 NCAA Division I softball tournament and 2024 Women's College World Series. The Women's College World Series, consisting of the eight remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament and held annually in Oklahoma City at Devon Park, ended in June 2024.
Realignment
One school began a transition from NCAA Division II to Division I on July 1, 2023. Le Moyne joined the Northeast Conference (NEC).
A total of 15 softball-sponsoring schools changed conferences after the 2023 season. BYU, Houston, and UCF joined the Big 12 Conference. Campbell joined the Coastal Athletic Association. Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, UAB and UTSA joined the American Athletic Conference. Jacksonville State, Liberty, New Mexico State, and Sam Houston joined Conference USA (CUSA). Western Illinois joined the Ohio Valley Conference.
The 2024 season was the last for 16 Division I softball schools in their current conferences. Eight of the nine softball-sponsoring members of the Pac-12 Conference left for other conferences: Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah joined the Big 12 Conference. California and Stanford joined the Atlantic Coast Conference. Oregon, UCLA, and Washington joined the Big Ten Conference. Kennesaw State left the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) for CUSA. Merrimack and Sacred Heart left the Northeast Conference for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Oklahoma and Texas left the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference. Oregon State, the last softball-sponsoring school remaining in the Pac-12, is housing most of its non-football sports, including softball, in the West Coast Conference for at least the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Stephen F. Austin (SFA) and UTRGV left the Western Athletic Conference for the Southland Conference (SLC). SFA rejoined the SLC after a three-season absence.
Two softball-sponsoring schools started transitions from D-II after the 2024 season: Mercyhurst left the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference for the NEC. West Georgia left the Gulf South Conference for the ASUN.
In addition to these changes, the Indiana University and Purdue University systems split IUPUI into separate IU- and Purdue-affiliated institutions at the end of the 2023–24 academic year, a move similar to the two systems' dissolution of their joint Fort Wayne campus in 2018. The IUPUI athletic program was transferred to the new IU Indianapolis and rebranded as IU Indy, maintaining IUPUI's memberships in Division I and the Horizon League.
Other headlines March 3 – Louisiana defeated Oklahoma 7–5 in 8 innings, ending the Sooners' Division I-record 71-game winning streak.
Season outlook
USA Today/NFCA DI Coaches PollRankingTeam 1 Oklahoma 2 3 т 4 т 5 Clemson 6 7 8 Texas 9 10 UCLA 11 12 13 14 15 16 Arkansas 17 18 19 20 21 Louisiana 22 23 South Carolina 24 25 ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate PollRankingTeam 1 Oklahoma 2 3 4 5 Texas 6 7 Clemson 8 UCLA 9 10 11 12 Arkansas 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Louisiana 22 South Carolina 23 24 25 D1SoftballRankingTeam 1 Oklahoma 2 3 4 5 Texas 6 7 Clemson 8 9 UCLA 10 11 12 13 14 т 15 т 16 17 18 Arkansas 19 20 21 Louisiana 22 South Carolina 23 24 25 Softball AmericaRankingTeam 1 Oklahoma 2 3 4 5 Clemson 6 7 Texas 8 Arkansas 9 10 UCLA 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 South Carolina 18 19 20 21 22 23 Louisiana 24 25
Conference standings
Conference winners and tournaments Source: Of the 32 Division I athletic conferences that sponsor softball, 30 end their regular seasons with a single-elimination tournament or a double elimination tournament. The teams in each conference that win their regular season title are given the number one seed in each tournament. Two conferences, the Big West and West Coast Conference, do not hold a conference tournament. Conference tournament winners plus the Big West and West Coast Conference regular-season champions receive automatic invitations to the 2024 NCAA Division I softball tournament. ConferenceRegular Season WinnerConference Player of the YearConference Pitcher of the YearConference Coach of the YearConference TournamentTournament Venue • CityTournament Winner America East Conference Allison L’Amoreaux Wendi Hammond Jess Bump / Bianka Bell 2024 America East Conference softball tournament Mike Kessock Field • Orono, ME American Athletic Conference CC Wong Georgeanna Barefoot Jordan Clark 2024 American Athletic Conference softball tournament Wilkins Stadium • Wichita, KS Atlantic 10 Conference Sydney Barnett Peyton Pepkowski Cara Clark 2024 Atlantic 10 Conference softball tournament Bahoshy Softball Complex • Bronx, NY Atlantic Coast Conference Claire Davidson Jala Wright Marissa Young 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference softball tournament Duke Softball Stadium • Durham, NC Atlantic Sun Conference Jeanay RileyEastern Kentucky Maddi RutanEastern Kentucky Jane WorthingtonEastern Kentucky 2024 Atlantic Sun Conference softball tournament Choccolocco Park • Oxford, AL Florida Gulf CoastBig 12 Conference Texas Reese AtwoodTexas Lexi KilfoylOklahoma StateMike WhiteTexas 2024 Big 12 Conference softball tournament USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium • Oklahoma City, OK OklahomaBig East Conference Lexi HastingsUConn Natalia PuchinoCreighton Bridget Orchard Villanova & Krista Wood Creighton 2024 Big East Conference softball tournament Glay Field • Providence, RI Big Sky Conference Amailee Morales Northern Colorado &Lewa Day Sacramento State Erin CavinessNorthern Colorado Dedeann Pendleton-HelmNorthern Colorado 2024 Big Sky Conference softball tournament Miller Ranch Stadium • Pocatello, ID Big South Conference Lexie RobertsRadford Nealy LambCharleston Southern Chris HawkinsUSC Upstate 2024 Big South Conference softball tournament Terry Field • Rock Hill, SC USC UpstateBig Ten Conference Jess OaklandMinnesota Ashley MillerNorthwestern Kate DrohanNorthwestern 2024 Big Ten softball tournament Bob Pearl Softball Field • Iowa City, IA MichiganBig West Conference Jessica Clements, Cal Poly Haley Rainey, Cal State Fullerton Jenny Condon, Cal Poly No Tournament, regular season champion earns auto bid Colonial Athletic Association Alyssa HenaultCampbell Isabella SmithCampbell Trena PraterCampbell 2024 Colonial Athletic Association softball tournament Boseman Field • Wilmington, NC Conference USA Desirae SpearmanNew Mexico State Katie GardnerWestern Kentucky Josh TaylorLouisiana Tech 2024 Conference USA softball tournament NMSU Softball Complex • Las Cruces, NM Horizon League Elyssa ImlerYoungstown State Sydney CampbellOakland Brian CampbellYoungstown State 2024 Horizon League softball tournament McCune Park • Youngstown, OH Ivy League Sophie SunHarvard Jensin HallDartmouth Lisa Van AckerenPrinceton 2024 Ivy League Softball Championship Series Site of Number 1 seed. Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Miah McDonaldMarist Kiley MyersMarist & Maddie HickingbottomNiagara Joe AusanioMarist 2024 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference softball tournament Regular season champion home stadium Mid-American Conference Karli SpaidMiami (OH)Rissa BajuszWestern Michigan Kirin KumarMiami (OH) 2024 Mid-American Conference softball tournament Firestone Stadium • Akron, OH Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Victoria FletcherMorgan State Vanessa CarrizosaChicago StateMercedes Hargett Chicago State &Larry Hineline Morgan State 2024 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference softball tournament NSU Softball Field • Norfolk, VA Missouri Valley Conference Jackie LisSouthern Illinois Maddia GroffSouthern Illinois Jen Sewell, Mary Jo Firnbach, Katie GriffithSouthern Illinois 2024 Missouri Valley Conference softball tournament Marian Kneer Softball Stadium • Normal, IL Mountain West Conference Gabby Herrera Nevada &Mac Barbara San Diego State Taylor GilmoreFresno State Stacey Nuveman DenizSan Diego State 2024 Mountain West Conference softball tournament Dona Larsen Park • Boise, ID Northeast Conference Paige StringerCCSU Grace VescoSaint Francis Beth Krysiak, Mel Savala, Ry GoddeSaint Francis (PA) 2024 Northeast Conference softball tournament Red Flash Field • Loretto, PA Ohio Valley Conference Kendall Grover Eastern Illinois & Paige Rocha SIUE Josie NewmanSouthern Indiana Tara ArchibaldEastern Illinois 2024 Ohio Valley Conference softball tournament Louisville Slugger Sports Complex • Peoria, IL Pac–12 Conference UCLA Maya BradyUCLA NiJaree CanadyStanford Kelly Inouye-PerezUCLA 2024 Pac–12 Conference softball tournament Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium • Palo Alto, CA UCLA Patriot League Boston University Lauren KeleherBoston University Kasey RicardBoston University Ashley WatersBoston University 2024 Patriot League softball tournament Campus sites Boston University Southeastern Conference Jocelyn EricksonFloridaKarlyn PickensTennessee Karen WeeklyTennessee 2024 Southeastern Conference softball tournament Jane B. Moore Field • Auburn, AL Southern Conference Chattanooga Brooklynn MaxwellUNCG Peja GooldChattanoogaChelsea ButlerWofford 2024 Southern Conference softball tournament UNCG Softball Stadium • Greensboro, NC Chattanooga Southland Conference McNeese Victoria AltamiranoIncarnate Word Shaelyn SandersMcNeese James LandreneauMcNeese 2024 Southland Conference softball tournament North Oak Park • Hammond, LA Southeastern Louisiana Southwestern Athletic Conference East - Florida A&M West - Prairie View A&M Mia NunezPrairie View A&M Zoryana HughesFlorida A&M East - Camise PattersonFlorida A&M West - Vernon Bland Prairie View A&M 2024 Southwestern Athletic Conference softball tournament Gulfport Sportsplex • Gulfport, MS Jackson State Summit League Mia JareckiSouth Dakota State Kamryn MeyerOmaha Mike HeardOmaha 2024 Summit League softball tournament Jackrabbit Softball Stadium • Brookings, SD Omaha Sun Belt Conference Louisiana Mihyia DavisLouisianaJessica MullinsTexas State Gerry GlascoLouisiana 2024 Sun Belt Conference softball tournament Bobcat Softball Stadium • San Marcos, TX West Coast Conference Saint Mary's Hazyl Gray, Santa Clara Jenna Perez, Loyola Marymount &Odhi Vasquez, Saint Mary's Sonja Garnett, Saint Mary's No Tournament, regular season champion earns auto bidWestern Athletic Conference Grand Canyon Ashley TrierweilerGrand Canyon Hailey HudsonGrand Canyon Shanon HaysGrand Canyon 2024 Western Athletic Conference softball tournament Logan Field • Seattle, WA Grand Canyon
Awards USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year: NiJaree Canady, Stanford NFCA National Player of the Year: Jocelyn Erickson, Florida| Softball America Player of the Year: Reese Atwood, Texas NFCA National Pitcher of the Year: NiJaree Canady, Stanford Softball America Pitcher of the Year: NiJaree Canady, Stanford NFCA National Freshman of the Year: Jaysoni Beachum, Florida State Softball America Freshman of the Year: Jaysoni Beachum, Florida State Softball America Defensive Player of the Year: Jocelyn Erickson, Florida NFCA Catcher of the Year: Jocelyn Erickson, Florida NFCA Golden Shoe Award: Megan Delgadillo, Cal State Fullerton
All-America Teams The following players were members of the All-American Teams.
First Team Position Player Class School P NiJaree Canady SO. Stanford Lexi Kilfoyl GS Oklahoma State Karlyn Pickens SO Tennessee C Jocelyn Erickson JR. Florida 1B Shaylon Govan SR. Baylor 2B Aminah Vega SO. Duke 3B Alyssa Brito SR. Oklahoma SS Tiare Jennings SR. Oklahoma OF Claire Davidson SR. Duke Emma Ritter SR. Virginia Tech Korbe Otis JR. Florida UT Valerie Cagle SR. Clemson Reese Atwood SO. TexasAT-L Payton Gottshall GS Tennessee Maya Brady R-SR. UCLA Jessica Mullins SR. Texas State Brooke Nelson GS Washington Addy Greene SR. Virginia Tech
Second Team