The most important event on the college softball calendar has arrived, as eight teams travel to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with one common mission: win the Women’s College World Series.
In addition to No. 1 overall seed Texas and three-time reigning national champion Oklahoma – the second seed – reaching Devon Park, the WCWS features a diverse field of seedings this year with a fourth seed in Florida, a five seed in the state of Oklahoma. , a 6-seed UCLA, an 8-seed in Stanford and two double-digit seeds in 10-seed Duke and 14-seed Alabama.
MORE:Watch the 2024 Women’s College World Series with Fubo (Free Trial)
The Sooners are chasing history this year at Devon Park, as Patty Grasso’s squad looks to become the first team in history to become four-time national champions. The favorite to stop Oklahoma’s bid is Texas, led by National Player of the Year finalist Reese Atwood. A potential championship game between the Sooners and Longhorns would certainly provide some entertainment as both Big 12 foes head to the SEC next season.
Here’s what you need to know about the structure of the WCWS, in terms of format, bracket and schedule:
Women’s College World Series format, explained
The Women’s College World Series begins with eight teams divided into two groups of four teams, each competing in a double-elimination format similar to the regional round of the NCAA softball tournament. From there, one team from each category advances to compete in a best-of-three championship series, with the loser being named the national runner-up, while the winner is crowned the national champion.
Double elimination
Like the regional round of the NCAA softball tournament, the WCWS begins as a double-elimination style tournament with two four-team brackets.
Each team starts with a 0-0 record in the first round, which includes a total of four matches. Those who lose these games will drop to 0-1 and be paired with an elimination game. Whoever falls into the “losers bracket” game will drop to 0-2 and be eliminated from the field, while the winner (1-1) will face another day.
Meanwhile, those who win their first round match will progress to 1-0 and into the second round of their series. Teams that win the second round match will advance to the WCWS semifinals with a 2-0 record and need just one more win to advance to the championship series.
As for the loser of each “winner’s bracket” game, they drop to 1-1 in the WCWS game and are forced to play in an elimination game – in the opposite bracket. There it plays against the winner of that bracket’s “losers bracket” game. The loser falls to 1-2 and is eliminated, while the winner (2-1) advances to the WCWS semifinals and needs two wins to advance to the championship series.
Teams advancing to the championship must play a minimum of three and no more than five games in the double-elimination portion of the WCWS. They also need to win three or four games, depending on whether they end up in the “winner” or “loser” category.
Below are the paths a team can take to the championship series, with the corresponding record:
- Three games: Win first, second round and semi-final matches (3-0 record)
- Four games: Win first and second round matches, lose first semi-final, win second (3-1)
- Five games: Lose the first or second round, win in the losers’ round (4-1)
Championship series
Like the super regional round of the NCAA softball tournament, the WCWS championship series is a best-of-three series. To win the WCWS a team must win two games. This can be accomplished in a two-game sweep or in a winner-take-all Game 3 (after losing Game 1 or 2).
Taking into account both the double-elimination bracket and the championship bracket, the fewest number of matches needed to win the WCWS is five: three in the double-elimination bracket and two in the championship bracket. The maximum number of games a team must play to win the championship is eight: five in the double-elimination bracket and three in the championship bracket.
Can you get a run rule in the Women’s College World Series?
Yes. For the second straight season, the run-ahead rule in college softball will be implemented for the 2024 WCWS, as previously confirmed to the USA TODAY Network via the NCAA’s 2023-24 Pre-Championship Guide.
According to Rule 6.14 of the “2024 and 2025 Softball Rule Book”, the run rule of college softball is:
“A regulation play under the eight-run rule will be declared by the plate umpire if one team is eight or more runs ahead after five or more even innings. Full innings must be played unless the home team reaches the eight-run lead while in the match. strike in the last inning. Any hit that results in an eight-point lead by the home team (after 4 1/2 innings) is treated as a game-ending hit (see Rule 14.5).
“Anytime the visiting team reaches the limit in the fifth or any inning thereafter, the home team must be given an opportunity to bat in the bottom half of the inning.”
REQUIRED READING:College Softball Run Rule: Why NCAA Tournaments and Women’s College World Series Games Can End Early
2024 Women’s College World Series Bracket
Bracket 1 for the 2024 WCWS consists of Texas, Florida, Oklahoma State and Stanford, while Bracket 2 consists of Oklahoma, UCLA, Duke and Alabama.
Here is a full overview of the two WCWS brackets:
Bracket 1:
- 1-seed Texas vs. 8-seed Stanford
- 4-seed Florida vs. 5-seed Oklahoma State
Bracket 2:
- 2-seed Oklahoma vs. 10-seed Duke
- 6-seed UCLA vs. 14-seed Alabama
REQUIRED READING:Why was Jordy Bahl transferred from Oklahoma to Nebraska? Why former OU star left Sooners
2024 Women’s College World Series Schedule
The first set of games in the Women’s College World Series begins on Thursday, May 30 at 11 a.m. CT between 6-seed UCLA and 14-seed Alabama. Here is the full schedule from the opening rounds to the championship series for the 2024 Women’s College World Series, including start times and TV channel information:
Always Central
Thursday May 30
- WCWS Game 1: No. 14 Alabama vs. No. 6 UCLA | 11am | ESPN (Fubo) | ESPN+
- WCWS Game 2: No. 10 Duke vs. No. 2 Oklahoma | 1:30 PM | ESPN (Fubo) | ESPN+
- WCWS Game 3: No. 8 Stanford vs. No. 1 Texas | 6:00 PM | ESPN2 (Fubo) | ESPN+
- WCWS Game 4: No. 5 Oklahoma State vs. No. 4 Florida | 8:30 PM | ESPN2 (Fubo) | ESPN+
Friday May 31
- WCWS Game 5: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser | 6:00 PM | ESPN2 (Fubo) | ESPN+
- WCWS Game 6: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser | 8:30 PM | ESPN2 (Fubo) | ESPN+
Saturday June 1
- WCWS Game 7: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 | 2:00 PM | ABC (Fubo) | ESPN+
- WCWS Game 8: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 | 6:00 PM | ESPN (Fubo) | ESPN+
Sunday June 2
- WCWS Game 9: Winner of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 8 | 2:00 PM | ABC (Fubo) | ESPN+
- WCWS Game 10: Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 7 | 5:00 PM | ESPN2/ESPNU (Fubo) | ESPN+
Monday June 3
- WCWS Game 11: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 9 | 11am | ESPN (Fubo) | ESPN+
- WCWS Game 12 (if necessary): Game 11 Winner vs. Game 11 Loser | 1:30 PM | ESPN (Fubo) | ESPN+
- WCWS Game 13: Game 8 winner vs. Game 10 winner | 6:00 PM | ESPN2 (Fubo) | ESPN+
- WCWS Game 14: Game 13 Winner vs. Game 13 Loser | 8:30 PM | ESPN2 (Fubo) | ESPN+
WCWS Championship Series Schedule
Wednesday June 5
- WCWS Championship Game 1: To be determined versus to be determined | 7:00 PM | ESPN (Fubo) | ESPN+
Thursday June 6
- WCWS Championship Game 2: To be determined versus to be determined | 7:00 PM | ESPN (Fubo) | ESPN+
Friday June 7
- WCWS Championship Game 3 (if necessary): To be determined versus to be determined | 7:00 PM | ESPN (Fubo) | ESPN+
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