The college softball world series, WCWS, is one of the most well-known softball leagues that every softball enthusiast knows about. Here is everything you need to know about the college softball world series and why it is so popular.
Everything About The WCWS
In the NCAA Division I Softball Tournament, the Women’s College World Series (WCWS) takes place in the final round. The WCWS starts with a double-elimination competition that features eight teams, and two defeats are enough to remove a club from the playoffs. A best-of-three series decide WCWS Division I Champion between the two remaining teams after eliminating six teams.
Any two of the eight teams may meet in the championship series since opponents are selected in such a manner that it is conceivable. Since only eight teams compete in the tournament, the WCWS differs from the Men’s College World Series (MCWS) baseball tournament. The eight softball teams are separated into two brackets with four teams each, and whoever wins one bracket faces another in the best-of-three finals.
From 1969 through 1981, the Women’s College World Series was touted as the women’s college softball championship. Following a three-year stint in Omaha, the series was staged in Norman, Oklahoma, from 1980 to 1982, hosted by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). The USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City is the site of the WCWS.
In 1982, two World Series events took place side by side. Division I tournaments were held in Omaha, Nebraska, between 1982 and 1987, and in Sunnyvale, California, between 1988 and 1989. It has been hosted in Oklahoma City every year since 1996, when it was staged in the Columbus, Georgia, softball stadium to host the Olympic Games.
Softball was one of twelve new NCAA championship sports for the 1981–82 school year as the NCAA and the AIAW fought for control of all college women’s sports in the United States and Canada. Titles for both AIAW and NCAA tournaments in 1982 were known as the “Women’s College World Series.” The AIAW’s established championship program in the same twelve (and more) sports continues to be conducted.
Ultimately, the NCAA overtook the AIAW and hijacked its power and membership after a year of dual women’s championships. As of 1982, the Pac-12 had dominated college basketball, winning 65 percent of titles, followed by the Big 12 (10 percent) and the SEC (7.5 percent). The COVID-19 epidemic forced the cancellation of the Women’s College World Series in 2020.
Where Does The College Softball World Series Take Place?
Located inside the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex is OGE Energy Field at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium. The USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has a capacity of 13,000 spectators and serves various functions.
The main stadium, several practice fields, and an office building are all part of the complex. Even though USA Softball has a long-term lease on the complex, it owns and operates the office building it utilizes as its headquarters.
In 1987, the Don E. Porter “Hall of Fame ASA Stadium” was renamed the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex. USA Softball became the Amateur Softball Association in 2017, and renovations began in September 2013 and lasted through 2015 and 2018.
It hosted the Big 12 Conference Championship, the Women’s College World Series, and the World Cup of Softball, one of the most prestigious international softball competitions. The Big 12 tournament was discontinued in 2010, but the Women’s College World Series continued to be hosted at the exact location.
With all significant upgrades done at the facility in 2020, the Big 12 Conference opted to restart a conference tournament for the 2017 season, contested with the USA Softball International Cup. The Women’s College World Series will continue to be held in Oklahoma City until 2035 if the city fulfills its vow to complete a four-phase reconstruction.
An LED jumbotron video scoreboard and a brand new two-story press box were constructed in the late summer and early autumn of 2018. The 2020 Women’s College World Series was postponed owing to the COVID-19 epidemic, although the stadium’s seating capacity (seat bowl and outfield bleachers) was substantially enlarged.
With the most recent addition, the main stadium now holds 13,000 spectators. In 2007, it was rated eighth in the state of Oklahoma regarding sports facilities.
How Is AIAW Related To The College Softball World Series
College women’s sports were first governed by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) in 1971, which also served as the foundation for the organization’s national championships and other events (see AIAW Champions)—initiated by members of the Commission on Intercollegiate Women’s Athletics (founded in 1967).
This was a significant step forward in women’s college sports. Following Title IX’s implementation, women’s sports throughout the country saw a surge in participation and national recognition during the 1970s, spurred partly by the AIAW.
The American Intercollegiate Athletic Association for Women (AIAW) served in the same capacity as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for women’s college athletics. In the early 1980s, the AIAW was at odds with the NCAA because of its success. With just a year’s notice, the AIAW ceased operations, with most member institutions opting to continue their women’s sports programs under the tutelage of the NCAA in its place.
Final Words
You need to know these things about the College Softball World Series and how it affects the softball world. This popular softball league is one of the most prominent ones in the world, and everything above them is provided.