The field is set for the 2026 NCAA Women's College World Series and for the 25th-straight year, ESPN will exclusively cover the event from the first pitch to the championship dog pile. WCWS action starts on Thursday, May 28 live from OG&G Energy Field at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Okla., beginning the five-day, eight team double-elimination format. The final two teams face off in the best-of-three series, beginning on June 3.
Games will be available via ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, with all matchups also available on the ESPN App via an applicable subscription. This year's field consists of: Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas, Texas Tech and UCLA. The 7Innings Live: Championship Finals Special Presented by Capital One will air on ESPNU and the ESPN App, June 3-5.
Action begins Thursday at noon ET with a first-time WCWS appearance from Mississippi State as the Bulldogs take on the 2025 runner up in No. 11 Texas Tech (ESPN). The day continues with an all-SEC battle with No. 7 Tennessee facing No. 2 Texas (2:30 p.m., ESPN), then No. 8 UCLA takes on No. 1 Alabama in primetime (7 p.m., ESPN2), while No. 5 Arkansas vs. No. 4 Nebraska closes out the first day of play (9:30 p.m., ESPN2).
On the Call
Throughout the first five days of the WCWS, ESPN will deploy two top-tier commentator teams to bring fans the games:
Beth Mowins - the Voice of Softball - returns as play-by-play, joined by two-time Olympic medalist and four-time All-American Jessica Mendoza and two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time All-American Michele Smith. Emmy Award winning sideline reporter Holly Rowe will join the team from the baseline. This all-star team has worked together for 19 seasons, with Mowins calling her 32nd WCWS, Smith and Rowe their 22nd and Mendoza her 19th. This squad will call the action for the dayside games, as well as the entire championship series.
Joining from the nightside is play-by-play voice Kevin Brown, two-time All-American Amanda Scarborough and reporter Alyssa Lang. This group will handle night games from Thursday-Monday as the field whittles down to two teams. 2026 marks Scarborough's 11th year calling the WCWS and Brown's sixth year calling the event, while Lang is reporting from her second world series.
Studio Coverage Elevated in the 405
ESPN will once again have live, on-site studio coverage from Devon Park, providing fans with full tournament coverage throughout the championship. Beginning Thursday, May 28 at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN and the ESPN App, NCAA Softball Championship Update will ready fans for the games of the day - Courtney Lyle will host alongside analysts Danielle Lawrie and Madison Shipman. Lawrie won Bronze with Team Canada at the 2020 Olympics, alongside her 2010 National Championship at Washington. Shipman garnered three-time All-America honors and an SEC Player of the Year nod during her tenure at the University of Tennessee.
Ahead of each of the Championship Series games, Lyle, Lawrie, Scarborough and Shipman will be live with a presentation of NCAA Women's College World Series Pregame Show. Coverage for all three nights begins at 7:30 p.m. ET, with Wednesday and Friday airing on ESPN2 and Thursday's show live on ESPN.
Additionally, ESPN will offer an alt-cast for fans during the Champ Series - 7Innings Live: Championship Finals Special Presented by Capital One. Fans can tune in to ESPNU and the ESPN App to hear commentary from Lyle, Lawrie, Scarborough and Shipman as the final two teams battle it out to see who will raise the trophy in Oklahoma City.
Every Pitch, Every Angle
ESPN continues to elevate its state-of-the-art coverage, with technological enhancements on display for every game:
SEC Network Bound for Boomtown
SEC Network is set to follow the journeys of Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Texas in their quest to hoist the championship trophy, with post-game shows throughout the five-day, double-elimination round. Should any of the teams advance to the championship series, the network will provide pre- and post-game coverage throughout. Courtney Lyle, Dari Nowkhah and Alyssa Lang will trade hosting duties alongside analysts Tori Vidales and Haylie McCleney.
SEC Network coverage begins Wednesday with SEC Now coverage as Nowkhah, Vidales and McCleney cover the day's open practices and press conferences ahead of Thursday's first pitch.
A Season For the Books
ESPN Marketing has launched a new campaign promoting the Women's College World Series. Featuring Miley Cyrus' "Walk of Fame," the campaign is a yearbook that highlights this year's generational class of athletes as they make the journey to the Women's College World Series Finals in Oklahoma City.
2026 Women's College World Series Schedule
Games available across ESPN platforms and via the ESPN App
*Top 16 Seeds denoted in grid
Full schedule also available here. For the latest updates regarding weather, visit NCAA.com or @NCAASoftball on social.
Source: ESPN
