LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The 2026 Division I softball season is upon us and 18 programs head to the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Fla. for the 23rd edition of the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic presented by MaxBP. The season-opening tournament takes place Feb 5-8 and showcases four nationally-ranked programs, including matchups between No. 4 Tennessee v No. 5 Oregon as well as a matchup between a pair of Super Regional participants, #13 Clemson and #21 Liberty.
All 46 contests will be streamed live for free courtesy of NFCA Official Sponsor GameChanger, the sole streaming provider of the tournament. Fans can download the GameChanger app for free and watch on a phone, tablet or desktop. Click on the Tournament Central link below for all team links and directions on how to watch.
All contests on fields 8 and 9 will feature a dedicated broadcast team and a multi-camera view. Games on Fields 1 through 4 will have a single camera live feed through the GameChanger app. Follow all our socials (@nfcaorg) for tournament updates and information. To watch the contests on MLB Network, viewers can visit www.mlbnetwork.com
for their local channel listings or to subscribe to one of its Direct-To-Consumer offerings.
Please note that viewers who are unable to access the broadcasts on MLB Network, can still watch the games on the GameChanger app for free.
Tournament Central | Schedule (PDF) | Download GameChanger App | Purchase Tickets
Additionally, GameChanger, NFCA Official Sponsor Major League Baseball and the Association are teaming up to broadcast games, Saturday, Feb. 7 and Sunday Feb. 8, on MLB Network. Liberty and Missouri open the tripleheader at 1:00 p.m. followed by RV Auburn v No. 13 Clemson with 2025 World Series participants Tennessee and Oregon closing out the tripleheader.
Liberty became the first program to knock out the NCAA Division I tournament’s No. 1 overall seed (Texas A&M) during the NCAA Regional round. The Auburn Tigers were Regional finalists, forcing an if-game against No. 4 seed Florida State, while the Clemson Tigers reached Super Regionals for the first time in program history. The Ducks picked up one win in Oklahoma City, while the Lady Vols reached the national semifinals. The first two contests will be live on MLB Network with the Tennessee/Oregon matchup starting at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on tape delay. Fans can still watch it live on the GameChanger app.
Sunday’s MLB Network lineup showcases another Regional finalist, RV Southeastern Louisiana, when it takes on Oregon at 10:00 a.m., followed by Missouri and South Alabama at 1:00 p.m.
In addition to the aforementioned teams, the field also includes Boston College, BYU, Eastern Kentucky, Longwood, Michigan State, North Carolina Central, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Rutgers.
The field also includes 2023 and 2024 champions – Tennessee and Missouri.
This marks the eighth consecutive tournament in Clearwater (2012-14, 2020, 2023-26). The first 15 tournaments were held in Columbus, Ga., from 1996 through 2010. Michigan has captured the most Leadoff titles with three, while Louisiana and Washington (won the inaugural in 1996) have each won twice.
Tickets are still available for purchase. Please note ticket prices include tax and an additional third-party fee incurred during the purchasing process.
2026 participating teams: Auburn • Boston College • BYU • Clemson • Eastern Kentucky • Liberty • Longwood • Michigan State • Missouri • North Carolina Central • Notre Dame • Oregon • Penn State • Pittsburgh • Rutgers • South Alabama • Southeastern Louisiana • Tennessee
Division I Leadoff Classic champions
2025 – Kentucky; 2024 – Missouri; 2023 – Tennessee; 2020 – Mississippi State; 2014 – Hofstra; 2013 – Louisiana; 2012 – DePaul; 2010 – Illinois; 2008 – Michigan; 2007 – Georgia Tech & Michigan; 2005 – Oklahoma; 2004 – LSU; 2003 – UMass; 2002 – Nebraska; 2001 – Stanford; 2000 – Washington; 1999 – Louisiana; 1998 – Michigan; 1997 – South Carolina; 1996 – Washington
*2006 & 2009 tournaments were rained out
The NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its competitive Leadoff Classics, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from a highly-regarded Awards Program to a comprehensive drills database, to in-person events and a National Convention.
Learn more about the NFCA and consider joining our lineup of 7,000 coaches today!
