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Women’s College World Series: 2025 bracket, schedule and history
By Chris Wright
Last Updated:
The 2025 Women’s College World Series returns to Oklahoma City May 29-June 5 or 6. Every game will be played at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex. The 8-team format is double-elimination, with two bracket winners advancing to a best-of-3 championship series. Game 1 of the WCWS Finals is June 4, Game 2 is June 5 and, if necessary, Game 3 will be played June 6.
Women’s College World Series/NCAA Tournament schedule
Sixty-four teams will participate in the NCAA Softball Tournament. Teams earn an automatic berth by winning a conference tournament or receiving an at-large bid.
The field will be revealed during a selection show on Sunday, May 11. ESPN2 will televise the event at 7 p.m., ET.
The NCAA Tournament has 3 rounds: 16 regionals featuring 4 teams apiece, 8 Super Regionals featuring the regional winners, and the 8 Super Regional winners that advance Women’s College World Series.
Regionals are double elimination and will be played May 16-18 at various sites.
Super Regionals pit regional winners against each other in a best-of-3 series and will be played May 22-25.
The 8 Super Regional winners then advance to the double-elimination Women’s College World Series.
What’s different about the 2025 Women’s College World Series?
The biggest potential difference is that the 2025 event will feature Oklahoma — as an SEC team.
The Sooners have won 4 consecutive WCWS titles, moving them into a tie for second all-time with 8 national titles. Last year, Oklahoma outlasted Texas in the best-of-3 finals. Texas, of course, also moved to the SEC with Oklahoma.
Texas opened the 2025 ranked No. 1, but the Sooners were in the top 3 of most major polls.
Women’s College World Series history
The WCWS debuted in 1982. And while its official name is the Women’s College World Series, WCWS just as easily could have represented West Coast World Series.
UCLA won the inaugural event, and West Coast teams continued to dominate the event. Teams from California and Arizona combined to win 25 of the first 30 WCWS championships.
The tide began to change in 2012, when Alabama became the first SEC team to win the WCWS. Since then, Oklahoma (7 championships) and Florida (2 titles) have combined to win 9 of the past 11 titles. UCLA and FSU were the other winners in that span.
In other words, the rest of the country has caught up with the West Coast.
How has the WCWS format changed?
The tournament debuted in 1982 as a 16-team event. It expanded to 20 teams in 1988 and to 32 teams in 1994. In 1999, it grew to 48 teams. In 2003, it expanded to 64 teams, where it remains.
Who has hit the most home runs in WCWS history?
Jocelyn Alo (Oklahoma) leads the way with 12. Former teammate Tiare Jennings finished her career with 11.
Another Oklahoma star, Lauren Chamberlain, held the record for almost a decade. In 2014, she finished her career with 6 home runs in the WCWS.
How many fans attend the WCWS?
As the sport expanded, so, too has interest.
In 2021, the WCWS topped 200,000 fans overall for for the first time.
The WCWS set attendance records in 2024, with 12,324 attending a showdown between Oklahoma and Texas.
Capacity at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex Stadium is 13,000. The facility opened in 1987.
Who has won the most WCWS titles?
UCLA leads the way with 12 WCWS titles, including vacated titles. Arizona and Oklahoma are tied for second all-time with 8 WCWS championships, followed by Arizona State, Florida and Texas A&M with 2 apiece.
Previous Women’s College World Series champions
2024 — Oklahoma
2023 — Oklahoma
2022 — Oklahoma
2021 — Oklahoma
2020 — No tournament
2019 — UCLA
2018 — Florida State
2017 — Oklahoma
2016 — Oklahoma
2015 — Florida
2014 — Florida
2013 — Oklahoma
2012 — Alabama
2011 — Arizona State
2010 — UCLA
2009 — Washington
2008 — Arizona State
2007 — Arizona
2006 — Arizona
2005 — Michigan
2004 — UCLA
2003 — UCLA
2002 — Cal
2001 — Arizona
2000 — Oklahoma
1999 — UCLA
1998 — Fresno State
1997 — Arizona
1996 — Arizona
1995 — UCLA
1994 — Arizona
1993 — Arizona
1992 — UCLA
1991 — Arizona
1990 — UCLA
1989 — UCLA
1988 — UCLA
1987 — Texas A&M
1986 — Cal State Fullerton
1985 — UCLA
1984 — UCLA
1983 — Texas A&M
1982 — UCLA
Managing Editor
A 30-time APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.
