BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The 2026 softball season has arrived for Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) teams.
The regular season officially gets underway this weekend with several dome games in Dundas and Mankato. MIAC teams will continue to compete throughout February in the Midwest before embarking on their usual spring trips to warmer climates in March. The first round of conference contests of the year is currently scheduled for April 1.
The top six teams in the conference standings at the end of the regular season in May will compete in the 2026 MIAC Softball Playoffs. The first two games of the single-elimination conference tournament will be hosted by seeds No. 3 and 4 on Thursday, May 7, before the playoffs head to the home field of the No. 1 seed for three final games on Saturday, May 9. The last team standing will receive the conference's automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament.
2025 FINAL STANDINGS
Saint Mary's (44-7, 22-0)*#%
Saint Benedict (26-14, 17-5)%
St. Olaf (24-16, 14-8)
Macalester (27-15, 13-9)
Bethel (19-21, 12-10)
St. Catherine (18-23, 10-12)
Gustavus (19-21, 9-13)
Concordia (20-18, 8-14)
Carleton (14-26, 8-14)
Hamline (17-23, 7-15)
Augsburg (15-25, 6-16)
St. Scholastica (10-30, 6-16)
*MIAC Regular Season Champion
#MIAC Playoff Champion
%NCAA Championship Participant
RULE CHANGES
The NCAA Softball Rules Committee and the Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved numerous changes for the 2026 and 2027 seasons last August. One consequential adjustment involves the use of the double base at first base. A double base will be required for NCAA Division I this spring, with implementation at the Division II and III levels next year; however, D-III teams are likely to begin seeing double first bases phased in this year. The intent of the rule change is threefold: to provide equal opportunity for both the offensive and defensive players to function in the same approximate area; to potentially limit contact at first base between offensive and defensive players; and to emphasize the use of the runner's lane.
In addition to the double base rule, other items of note include the approved use of one-way electronic communication devices by offensive players. Communication can originate from the dugouts or coaches' boxes. Additionally, all protests must now be resolved during a game. Games will no longer be played "under protest," awaiting postgame decisions by the NCAA secretary-rules editor for softball.
The official NCAA Softball Rulebook for 2026 and 2027 is available for download via NCAA Publications.
MIAC SPORTS NETWORK
The MIAC Sports Network, powered by Hudl, returns as the streaming home of all MIAC-hosted games, events, and championships. The MIAC Sports Network is available on the web (https://miacsportsnetwork.com/) along with streaming apps for television and mobile devices, including Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku (TV), iOS, Android (mobile), and Amazon Fire Tablet. The app can be found and installed free of charge by searching for the MIAC Sports Network.
The 2026 MIAC Softball Playoffs will be streamed live on the MIAC Sports Network in a pay-per-view format. Individual playoff contests will be streamed for $10 each, or $25 for a "championship pass" to stream the entire tournament live. On-demand access to playoff games will be available after the NCAA Tournament concludes.
AWARD WATCH
MIAC coaches will vote on the 2026 MIAC Softball All-Conference honors at the conclusion of the regular season. In addition to a 36-player All-MIAC squad, coaches will also vote on individual awards for the MIAC Player, Pitcher, Rookie, and Coach of the Year.
Throughout the regular season, the MIAC will recognize top individual performances with the MIAC Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week awards. Athlete of the Week awards will begin on Monday, February 16, and will be announced each Monday through the end of the regular season. During the week following the MIAC Playoffs, participating coaches will also select a 13-player All-Playoff Team to recognize outstanding performances throughout the conference tournament.