LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Eighteen teams, including three 2025 NAIA Softball World Series participants and nine more postseason teams, head to Columbus, Ga. for the 2026 NFCA NAIA Leadoff Classic. Taking place at the South Commons Complex from Feb. 27 through March 1, the 10th edition of the tournament will feature 43 contests at the home of this year’s NAIA World Series, the host site since 2021.
The action kicks off on Friday with three games at 11:00 a.m., followed by five at 1:00 p.m., highlighted by a matchup between two 2025 World Series participants, national semifinalist Georgia Gwinnett and Reinhardt, who returned to the World Series for the first time since 2014. The third program, and last year’s No. 1 overall seed University of the Cumberlands, makes its tournament debut during a six-game slate at 3:30 p.m.
All games can be viewed live through the South Commons Complex video stream. Click on the tournament central link below to view the streaming details.
Tournament Central | Purchase Tickets
| Schedule
At No. 4, the Grizzlies are the top-ranked tournament team in the NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 preseason poll, followed by the Patriots at No. 7 and the Eagles at No. 15. Rio Grande, the 2024 tournament champions, are ranked 24th. Fellow tournament teams Campbellsville, Coastal Georgia, Freed-Hardeman, Mobile and William Carey all received ranking votes.
The Red Storm open their tournament title defense during that 3:30 p.m. slate against Johnson, which made its first-ever NAIA postseason appearance last year. Rio Grande wraps up its tournament schedule on Sunday, March 1 with a rematch of last year’s Marion, Ind. Opening Round final against Reinhardet.
Coastal Georgia, which was also in Marion, Ind., takes on Reinhardt in a rematch of that Opening Round’s first game.
In addition to the above-mentioned teams, 2024 Leadoff runners-up William Carey, Campbellsville, Freed-Hardeman, Mobile, Stillman and Thomas all reached the postseason in 2025 and are all in this year’s tournament. Rounding out the 18-team field is Brenau, Faulkner, Lindsey Wilson, Louisiana Christian, Truett McConnell and United States Sports University.
Sixteen of the 18 programs finished 2025 with winning records. Georgia Gwinnett (48-10), Rio Grande (46-11) and Cumberlands (40-9) posted 40-win campaigns, while seven more – Brenau (34-16), Coastal Georgia (35-19), Reinhardt (32-12), Stillman (33-13), Thomas (30-22), Mobile (33-20) and William Carey (36-19) – collected 30 or more victories.
2026 participating teams: Brenau University, Campbellsville University, College of Coastal Georgia, Faulkner University, Freed-Hardeman University, Georgia Gwinnett College, Johnson University, Lindsey Wilson College, Louisiana Christian University, Reinhardt University, Stillman College, Thomas University, Truett McConnell University, United States Sports University, University of Mobile, University of Rio Grande, University of the Cumberlands, William Carey University
