Women's College World Series
The Women's College World Series (WCWS) is the final portion of the NCAA Division I Softball Championship for college softball in the United States. The tournament format consists of two four-team double-elimination brackets. The winners of each bracket then compete in a best-of-three series to determine the Division I WCWS National Champion. The WCWS takes place at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. From 1969 to 1981, the women's collegiate softball championship was also known as the Women's College World Series and was promoted as such.[1] During 1969–1979, the series was played in Omaha, after which the AIAW held the series in 1980–1982 in Norman, Oklahoma. There were two competing World Series tournaments in 1982. The NCAA held its first six Division I tournaments in Omaha in 1982–1987, followed by Sunnyvale, California in 1988–1989. The event has been held in Oklahoma City every year since then, except for 1996 in Columbus, Georgia when they wanted to show that it would be a good place for softball to be played during the 1996 Olympics.
Softball was one of twelve women's sports added to the NCAA championship program for the 1981–82 school year, as the NCAA engaged in battle with the AIAW for sole governance of women's collegiate sports. The AIAW continued to conduct its established championship program in the same twelve (and other) sports. The 1982 softball championship tournaments of both the AIAW and the NCAA were called "Women's College World Series." However, after a year of dual women's championships, the NCAA conquered the AIAW and usurped its authority and membership.[2]
The 2020 Women's College World Series was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]
Division I
NCAA
* Nebraska's runner-up finish in 1985 was vacated by the NCAA.
** The 1995 title by UCLA and any related records have been vacated by the NCAA due to scholarship violations. Criticism also centered on UCLA player Tanya Harding who was recruited from Queensland, Australia midway through the 1995 season. After UCLA captured the NCAA National Championship, Harding, the MVP of the tournament, returned to her homeland without taking final exams or earning a single college credit. Despite not violating any formal rules in recruiting Harding, the incident generated heated criticism that some foreign athletes were little more than hired guns.[5][6]
*** Beginning in 2005, a best-of-three series determines the national championship.
AIAW
From 1969–1972, the DGWS (forerunner organization of the AIAW) recognized the WCWS, organized by the Amateur Softball Association, as the collegiate championship tournament. The AIAW assumed responsibilities from DGWS in 1973.
Year | Champion[4] | Title Series Game Score(s) | Runner-up |
1969 | John F. Kennedy College | 2–0 | Illinois State |
1970 | John F. Kennedy College | 0–2 7–6 |
Southwest Missouri State |
1971 | John F. Kennedy College | 6–0 4–0 |
Iowa State |
1972 | Arizona State | 0–1 8–5 (11 inn) |
Nihon University |
1973 | Arizona State | 0–4 4–3 (16 inn) |
Illinois State |
1974 | Southwest Missouri State | 14–7 | Northern Colorado |
1975 | Nebraska–Omaha | 1–11 6–4 |
Northern Iowa |
1976 | Michigan State | 3–0 | Northern Colorado |
1977 | Northern Iowa | 0–1 (9 inn) 7–0 |
Arizona |
1978 | UCLA | 3–0 | Northern Colorado |
1979 | Texas Woman's | 1–0 1–0 |
UCLA |
1980[lower-alpha 1] | Utah State | 1–0 2–1 |
Indiana |
1981[lower-alpha 2] | Utah State | 1–6 4–3 |
Cal State Fullerton |
1982 | Texas A&M | 4–1 5–3 (8 inn) |
Oklahoma State |
NCAA team titles by school
School | Number | Year Won |
---|---|---|
UCLA | 12 | 1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2019 |
Arizona | 8 | 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2006, 2007 |
Oklahoma | 4 | 2000, 2013, 2016, 2017 |
Arizona State | 2 | 2008, 2011 |
Texas A&M | 2 | 1983, 1987 |
Florida | 2 | 2014, 2015 |
Alabama | 1 | 2012 |
Cal State Fullerton | 1 | 1986 |
Florida State | 1 | 2018 |
Fresno State | 1 | 1998 |
Michigan | 1 | 2005 |
Washington | 1 | 2009 |
California | 1 | 2002 |
*UCLA also won the 1995 title, but it has since been vacated by the NCAA; see above. |
AIAW team titles by school
From 1969–1972, the DGWS (forerunner organization of the AIAW) recognized the WCWS, organized by the Amateur Softball Association, as the collegiate championship tournament. The AIAW assumed responsibilities from DGWS in 1973.
School | Championships[4] | Years |
---|---|---|
John F. Kennedy College (Nebraska) | 3 | 1969, 1970, 1971 (all DGWS) |
Arizona State | 2 | 1972 (DGWS), 1973 |
Utah State | 2 | 1980, 1981 |
Florida State | 2 | 1981, 1982 (both Slow Pitch) |
(Southwest) Missouri State | 1 | 1974 |
Nebraska Omaha | 1 | 1975 |
Michigan State | 1 | 1976 |
Northern Iowa | 1 | 1977 |
UCLA | 1 | 1978 |
Texas Woman's | 1 | 1979 |
Texas A&M | 1 | 1982 |
Championships & appearances by school
- Color coded by current conference
- Bold indicates team championship
School | Championships[4] (through 2019) |
Title Games (through 2019) |
WCWS Appearances (through 2019) |
WCWS Appearances (through 2019) |
---|---|---|---|---|
UCLA‡ | 12 | 22 | 32 | 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982,[lower-alpha 1] 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 |
Arizona | 8 | 14 | 27 | 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2019 |
Arizona State | 4 | 4 | 19 | 1971, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1982,[lower-alpha 1] 1987, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018 |
Oklahoma | 4 | 6 | 17 | 1975, 1980, 1981, 1982,[lower-alpha 2] 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 |
California | 1 | 3 | 15 | 1980, 1981, 1982,[lower-alpha 2] 1986, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2011, 2012 |
Washington | 1 | 4 | 14 | 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019 |
Michigan | 1 | 2 | 13 | 1982,[lower-alpha 2] 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016 |
Alabama | 1 | 2 | 12 | 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 |
Fresno State | 1 | 5 | 12 | 1982,[lower-alpha 1] 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999 |
Oklahoma State | 0 | 1 | 12 | 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982,[lower-alpha 2] 1982,[lower-alpha 1] 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2011, 2019 |
Texas A&M | 3 | 6 | 12 | 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982,[lower-alpha 2] 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 2007, 2008, 2017 |
Northern Colorado | 0 | 3 | 11 | 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 |
South Carolina | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1989, 1997 |
Florida State | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2002, 2004, 2014, 2016, 2018 |
Florida | 2 | 5 | 10 | 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 |
(Southwest) Missouri State | 1 | 2 | 10 | 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982[lower-alpha 2] |
Nebraska Omaha | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 |
Nebraska‡ | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1970, 1971, 1982,[lower-alpha 1] 1984, 1987, 1988, 1998, 2002, 2013 |
Cal State Fullerton | 1 | 3 | 8 | 1980, 1981, 1982,[lower-alpha 1] 1983, 1985, 1986 1987, 1995 |
Illinois State | 0 | 2 | 8 | 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1981 |
Western Illinois | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982[lower-alpha 2] |
Oregon | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1976, 1980, 1989, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 |
Tennessee | 0 | 2 | 7 | 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 |
Missouri | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1981, 1983, 1991, 1994, 2009, 2010, 2011 |
Cal Poly Pomona | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1978, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989 |
Kansas | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1992 |
Michigan State | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1981 |
Louisiana (Lafayette) | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1993, 1995, 1996, 2003, 2008, 2014 |
LSU | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2001, 2004, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017 |
Massachusetts | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1974, 1978, 1980, 1992, 1997, 1998 |
Long Beach State | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1986, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 |
Northwestern | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1984, 1985, 1986, 2006, 2007 |
Texas | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1998, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2013 |
Utah | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1976, 1982,[lower-alpha 2] 1985, 1991, 1994 |
Creighton | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1969, 1980, 1981, 1982,[lower-alpha 1] 1986 |
Wayne State (NE) | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 |
Utah State | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1978, 1980, 1981, 1984 |
Northern Iowa | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977 |
Indiana | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1979, 1980, 1983, 1986 |
DePaul | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1999, 2000, 2005, 2007 |
Iowa | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001 |
Georgia | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2009, 2010, 2016, 2018 |
Oregon State | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1977, 1978, 1979, 2006 |
Southern Illinois (Carbondale) | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1970, 1971, 1977, 1978 |
South Dakota State | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 |
Luther (IA) | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974 |
John F. Kennedy (NE) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1969, 1970, 1971 |
Texas Woman's | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1975, 1978, 1979 |
Baylor | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2007, 2011, 2014, 2017 |
Minnesota | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1976, 1978, 2019 |
Louisiana Tech | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1983, 1985, 1986 |
Adelphi | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1984, 1985, 1988 |
UNLV | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1990, 1991, 1995 |
Western Michigan | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1980, 1981, 1982[lower-alpha 1] |
Kearney State (NE) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1969, 1970, 1971 |
Minot State | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1970, 1971, 1972 |
Emporia State | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1971, 1972, 1979 |
Weber State | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1973, 1974, 1975 |
North Dakota State | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1973, 1974, 1975 |
Iowa State | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1971, 1973 |
Cal State–Northridge | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1993, 1994 |
Princeton | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1995, 1996 |
Southern Miss | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1999, 2000 |
Stanford | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2001, 2004 |
Central Michigan | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1982,[lower-alpha 2] 1987 |
Minnesota–Duluth | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1970, 1971 |
Midland Lutheran (NE) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1970, 1971 |
New Mexico | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1980, 1981 |
Rutgers | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1979, 1981 |
Concordia (NE) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1970, 1971 |
Upper Iowa | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1970, 1971 |
Eastern Illinois | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1971, 1974 |
Central Missouri | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1971, 1972 |
Ball State | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1973, 1975 |
Indiana State | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1974, 1976 |
East Stroudsburg State (PA) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1975, 1976 |
Northern State (SD) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1975, 1976 |
Texas–Arlington | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1976, 1977 |
Sacramento State | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1976, 1977 |
Auburn | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2015, 2016 |
Connecticut | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1993 |
Hawaii | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2010 |
Illinois–Chicago | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1994 |
Kent State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1990 |
Kentucky | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2014 |
Northern Illinois | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1988 |
Pacific (CA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1983 |
South Florida | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2012 |
Toledo | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1989 |
Virginia Tech | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2008 |
St. Petersburg Junior College (FL) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1969 |
Black Hills State (SD) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1969 |
Midwestern (IA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1970 |
Parsons (IA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1971 |
Wartburg (IA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1971 |
Wisconsin State University–Eau Claire | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1971 |
South Dakota | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1971 |
Southwest Baptist (MO) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1971 |
Buena Vista (IA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1971 |
Simpson (IA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1971 |
University of Tokyo–Nihon | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1972 |
Keene State (NH) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1972 |
Purdue | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1972 |
West Georgia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1974 |
Golden West College (CA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1974 |
Winona State (MN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1974 |
Nassau Community College (NY) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1974 |
Oregon College of Education | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1975 |
Northwest Missouri State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1975 |
Ohio | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1975 |
Mankato State (MN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1975 |
Tarkio (MO) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1976 |
Northwestern Oklahoma State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1976 |
Mayville State (ND) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1976 |
West Chester (PA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1977 |
Springfield (MA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1977 |
Portland State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1978 |
Stephen F. Austin | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1978 |
Chapman (CA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1979 |
Pittsburgh | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2015 |
New Mexico State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1981 |
Ohio State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1982[lower-alpha 2] |
Rhode Island | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1982[lower-alpha 2] |
U.S. International (CA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1982[lower-alpha 2] |
‡ UCLA's 1995 NCAA championship and Nebraska's 1985 runner-up finish were vacated by the NCAA and are not counted
- NCAA WCWS participant in 1982, when both the AIAW and NCAA conducted championships with the same name
- AIAW WCWS participant in 1982, when both the AIAW and NCAA conducted championships with the same name
Championships & appearances by conference
This listing excludes results of the pre-NCAA Women's College World Series of 1969 through 1982 (both Division I tournaments in 1982—AIAW and NCAA—were called "Women's College World Series").
Conference | Championships (Through 2019) |
Title Game/Series Appearances (Through 2019) |
WCWS Appearances (Through 2019) |
---|---|---|---|
Pac-12[c 1] | 24 | 39 | 89 |
SEC | 3 | 10 | 44 |
Big 12 | 4 | 6 | 33 |
Big Ten | 1 | 3 | 24 |
Big West[c 2] | 1 | 4 | 19 |
ACC | 1 | 1 | 10 |
Big Eight[c 3] [c 4] | 12 | ||
WAC[c 5] | 1 | 2 | 11 |
Atlantic 10 | 6 | ||
Southwest[c 6] [c 4] | 2 | 4 | 5 |
Conference USA[c 7] | 5 | ||
Sun Belt | 6 | ||
CCAA | 4 | ||
MAC | 4 | ||
Metro[c 7][c 4] | 4 | ||
Southland | 3 | ||
Big East[c 8] | 3 | ||
Ivy | 2 | ||
Missouri Valley[c 9] | 2 | ||
Independent | 1 | ||
Summit League[c 10] | 1 | ||
NorPac[c 11] [c 4] | 1 | 3 | |
North Star[c 12] [c 4] | 1 | ||
WCAA[c 13] [c 4] | 3 | 3 | 6 |
- Notes
- UCLA's 1995 WCWS participation & title were vacated by the NCAA and are not included in these figures; see above. The Pac-12, which adopted its current name on July 1, 2011, retains all historical records from its years as the Pac-10. The conference had adopted the "Pac-10" name in 1978, but did not begin sponsoring women's sports until the 1986–87 school year.
- The Big West Conference was known as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association until July 1988. Totals include all appearances by conference members under both names, but includes only appearances after the conference began sponsoring women's sports in 1984–85.
- Nebraska's 1985 WCWS participation & title game appearance were vacated by the NCAA and are not included in these totals. The Big Eight merged with four teams from the Southwest Conference to form the Big 12 in 1996.
- Conference is now defunct.
- The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) did not sponsor women's sports until the 1990–91 academic year, after absorbing the High Country Athletic Conference (HCAC), a parallel women's-only conference. The WAC maintains all historic records from the HCAC; totals include Utah State's 1984 and Utah's 1985 appearances while in the HCAC.
- Texas A&M won two titles in four title game and five WCWS appearances while they were still members of the Southwest Conference, which is now defunct. Texas A&M was a charter member of the Big 12 in 1996, but left for the Southeastern Conference in July 2012.
- Following the breakup of the Metro in 1991 by Florida State, South Carolina, Cincinnati, and Memphis, the Metro and its breakaway Great Midwest Conference reunified in 1995 as Conference USA.
- Although the charter of the original Big East Conference was inherited by the American Athletic Conference following the 2013 Big East split, the current Big East Conference maintains all athletic records of the original conference in all sports that it sponsors.
- Records include the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference's when it was originally a women's-only conference parallel to the MVC. In 1985, after the MVC stopped sponsoring football, the Gateway took on football as its only men's sport. In 1992, the women's portion of the Gateway merged into the MVC, which maintains all historic records of Gateway women's sports. The football side of the conference maintained the Gateway charter, first as the Gateway Football Conference and now the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
- The Mid-Continent Conference adopted its current name of The Summit League in June 2007.
- The NorPac, in full the Northern Pacific Conference, was a women's-only conference that operated from 1982 to 1986. The conference disbanded when the then-Pac-10, home to five of the final seven NorPac members, began sponsoring women's sports in 1986–87. The remaining two schools, which were members of the PCAA for men's sports, moved their women's sports to that conference.
- The North Star Conference was a women's-only conference that merged into the Mid-Continent Conference, now The Summit League, in 1992. The Summit maintains all historic records of North Star sports.
- The WCAA, in full the Western Collegiate Athletic Association, was a women's-only conference that operated from 1981 to 1986. Its final five members were all members of the conference known at the time as the Pac-10 and moved their women's sports to that league.
See also
- List of NCAA Division I softball programs
- Women's College World Series Most Outstanding Player
- College softball
- NCAA Division I Softball Championship
- NCAA Division II Softball Championship
- NCAA Division III Softball Championship
- AIAW Intercollegiate Women's Softball Champions
References
- Mary L. Littlewood (1998). Women's Fastpitch Softball – The Path to the Gold, An Historical Look at Women's Fastpitch in the United States (first ed.). National Fastpitch Coaches Association, Columbia, Missouri. pp. 145, 208. ISBN 0-9664310-0-6.
- Grundy, Pamela & Shackelford, Susan (2005). Shattering the Glass. The New Press. ISBN 1-56584-822-5.
- https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2020-ncaa-tournament-canceled-due-to-growing-threat-of-coronavirus-pandemic/
- Plummer, William; Floyd, Larry C. (2013). A Series Of Their Own: History Of The Women's College World Series. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States: Turnkey Communications Inc. ISBN 978-0-9893007-0-4.
- Starr, Mark (June 12, 1995). "No Credit For UCLA". Newsweek. p. 58.
- Montville, Leigh (June 12, 1995). "Ringer From Down Under". Sports Illustrated.