2025 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

SEC Softball Preview Ahead Of The 2025 Season

SEC Softball Preview Ahead Of The 2025 Season

Is the SEC the most powerful conference in collegiate softball? It’s hard to argue with 11 teams being ranked in the top 25 to start the 2025 season.

Feb 3, 2025 by Matt Cannizzaro
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Is it safe to say that the Southeastern Conference is the most powerful conference in collegiate softball? It would be hard to say no.

With the move of former Big 12 rivals Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC for the 2025 season, the 15-team SEC now includes five of the eight teams that advanced to the 2024 NCAA Women’s College World Series – Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama 

If that’s not enough of an argument, there’s more.

The recently released ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll featured 11 SEC teams, including the top three slots - Texas (1), Florida (2), Oklahoma (3), Tennessee (4), Texas A&M (7), LSU (9), Alabama (11), Arkansas (13), Georgia (14), Missouri (15) and Mississippi State (T24).

Four additional SEC teams received votes – Ole Miss, Auburn, Kentucky and South Carolina.

That means every SEC team was recognized. That’s insane.

This is the first time in program history that Texas will begin the season as the No. 1 team in the nation. 

At the same time, the Top 53 Watch List for the 2025 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year included 23 athletes from the SEC. 

The list will be narrowed to 25 finalists on April 30, and that can include any player, not just the ones on the initial list. The winner will be announced in May prior to the start of the 2025 WCWS.

Oh, and did we mention that the last three teams standing in last year’s NCAA Division I Softball Championship were Oklahoma, Texas and Florida?

Or that Oklahoma downed Texas in the championship series (2-0) to win its unprecedented fourth consecutive national championship? 

How To Watch The 2025 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

Watch the 2025 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on FloSoftball and the FloSports App.

Replays of the games, highlights and breaking news will be on both platforms.

Within The SEC In 2024

Tennessee won the SEC regular-season title last year for the second consecutive season, another a first for the Volunteers, after winning the regular-season title and the SEC Tournament in 2023.

The 2024 SEC Tournament went in favor of the Florida, however, as the Gators downed Missouri to win the crown. It was Florida’s sixth SEC title, tying UF with Alabama for the most all-time. 

The 2025 SEC Tournament will take place May 6-10 at Jack Turner Softball Stadium in Athens, Georgia.

Three SEC Softball Teams Will Compete At 2025 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic 

Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee will be among the 31 teams at the prestigious Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, California, in 2025.

The event is an annual opportunity for teams to test themselves against some of the top squads in the country, while honing their skills against talented non-conference opponents. 

The 2025 Mary Nutter will be played over four days in the California sunshine and take place at the Big League Dreams Complex, which has five fields available. 

Where Are The Other Top SEC Teams Starting The 2025 Season?

Along with the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, there are many other early-season tournaments and invitationals that allow teams to see parts of the country and opposition they won’t face during the regular season.

Texas Softball

The No. 1 Longhorns will travel across the South and Southwest for a series of events, beginning Feb. 7 with the Louisiana Classic in Lafayette, Louisiana. 

They’ll then head to the UH/LU Tournament in Beaumont, Texas, the Bearkat Classic in Huntsville, Texas, and the Bevo Classic at home in Austin, Texas, before heading to Tucson, Arizona, for the Hillenbrand Invitational.

The month of February for Texas will end at the Longhorn Invitational in Austin, which will be followed by a trip to Columbus, Ohio, for the Ohio State Tournament. 

Then, just like that, the Longhorns will head to Gainesville, Florida, for their first SEC series, a three-game set against the Gators.

Of the Longhorns’ last 27 games, 24 will be SEC contests. 

In 2024, Texas was 55-10 overall and 23-4 in Big 12 play to win its first outright Big 12 regular-season title since 2010. The Longhorns lost to Oklahoma in the final of the Philips Big 12 Softball Championship.

Oklahoma Softball

The four-time defending national champion Oklahoma Sooners will begin their 52-game regular-season schedule on the road Feb. 6 against CSUN and San Diego State as part of a six-game visit to California. 

They’ll then head to Waco, Texas, for the Getterman Classic and back to Norman, Oklahoma, for the Norman Tournament. 

The first SEC series of the Sooners’ inaugural campaign will come at home against South Carolina, and the three-game homestand will get underway March 7.

In 2024, Oklahoma finished 59-7 overall and 22-5 in Big 12 play, landing second behind Texas in the regular-season standings. The Sooners got redemption in the final of the Big 12 Softball Championship, and the rest of the season is, well, history.

Though they’ve hoisted the national championship trophy the last four seasons, the Sooners lost too many seniors to be able to retain the top spot in the preseason poll. 

Florida Softball

The Florida Gators will start things off at home against North Florida on Feb. 6, before making a two-hour trip south for the USF-Rawlings Invitational in Tampa, Florida. 

Florida then will host the Bubly Invitational at home in Gainesville and make a journey west to the Phoenix area for the Sun Devil Classic. 

February, and the run of special events, will wrap up at home with the Florida Invitational, followed by the meat of the 2025 season, which will begin with a visit from Houston on March 5.

The Gators were 54-15 in 2024, including a 17-7 record in SEC play. They finished behind Tennessee in the regular season but went on to win the conference tournament.

More About SEC Softball In 2025

In 2025, the SEC softball standings will include Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Texas A&M.

2025 Mary Nutter Team List

As of Sept. 4, 2024

  • Arkansas
  • Baylor
  • Bethune Cookman
  • BYU
  • Cal-Berkeley
  • CSU Fullerton
  • CSUN
  • Duke
  • Fresno State
  • Hawai’i
  • Howard University
  • Long Beach State
  • Loyola Marymount University
  • Minnesota
  • Missouri
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • Northwestern
  • Oregon
  • Oregon State
  • Rutgers
  • Saint Mary’s College
  • San Diego State
  • San Jose State
  • Seattle
  • Tennessee
  • UC Santa Barbara
  • UCLA
  • UC Riverside
  • Utah
  • Washington

When Is The 2025 Mary Nutter Softball Tournament?

The 2025 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic will take place Feb. 20-23.

Games begin Thursday and culminate with the final games on Sunday. 

Where Is The 2025 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic?  

The Mary Nutter Classic returns to the Big League Dreams Complex in Cathedral City, California. The complex has five fields available. 

Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic 2025 Schedule

All Times Eastern

Thursday, Feb. 20

Wrigley Field

  • 12:30 p.m. – Rutgers vs. Arkansas
  • 3 p.m. – Cal State Fullerton vs. Arkansas
  • 5:30 p.m. – Nebraska vs. Baylor
  • 8 p.m. – Missouri vs. UCLA
  • 10:30 p.m. – Nebraska vs. UCLA

Yankee Stadium

  • 1 p.m. – California vs. Oregon
  • 3:30 p.m. – Tennessee vs. Oregon 
  • 6 p.m. – Tennessee vs. Oregon State
  • 8:30 p.m. – Washington vs. BYU
  • 11 p.m. – Washington vs. UC Riverside

Fenway Park

  • 1 p.m. – Nevada vs. Baylor
  • 3:30 p.m. – Rutgers vs. Missouri
  • 6 p.m. – Bethune-Cookman vs. Nevada
  • 8:30 p.m. – Bethune-Cookman vs. UC Riverside
  • 11 p.m. – CSUN vs. BYU

Des Moines Field

  • 6 p.m. – California vs. Cal State Fullerton
  • 8:30 p.m. – CSUN vs. Oregon State

Friday, Feb. 21

Wrigley Field

  • 1:30 p.m. – Rutgers vs. Tennessee
  • 4 p.m. – Duke vs. Nebraska
  • 6:30 p.m. – Tennessee vs. UCLA
  • 9 p.m. – Arkansas vs. Loyola Marymount
  • 11:30 p.m. – California vs. Washington

Yankee Stadium

  • 1 p.m. – Missouri vs. Baylor
  • 3:30 p.m. – Missouri vs. Minnesota
  • 6 p.m. – BYU vs. Hawai'i
  • 8:30 p.m. – BYU vs. UC Santa Barbara
  • 11 p.m. – Oregon State vs. UC Santa Barbara

Fenway Park

  • 1:30 p.m. – Oregon vs. Utah
  • 4 p.m. – Oregon vs. San Diego State
  • 6:30 p.m. – Howard vs. Duke
  • 9 p.m. – Northwestern vs. Seattle
  • 11:30 p.m. – Howard vs. San Jose State

Des Moines Field

  • 1 p.m. – Fresno State vs. Minnesota
  • 3:30 p.m. – Fresno State vs. Seattle
  • 6 p.m. – Long Beach State vs. Utah
  • 8:30 p.m. – Nevada vs. UC Riverside
  • 11 p.m. – Nevada vs. Hawai'i

Pawtucket Field

  • 1 p.m. – Cal State Fullerton vs. Bethune-Cookman
  • 3:30 p.m. – Rutgers vs. Bethune-Cookman
  • 6 p.m. – Cal State Fullerton vs. Saint Mary’s
  • 8:30 p.m. – San Jose State vs. CSUN
  • 11 p.m. – Saint Mary’s vs. CSUN

Saturday, Feb. 22

Wrigley Field

  • 1 p.m. – Baylor vs. Arkansas
  • 3:30 p.m. – Baylor vs. UCLA
  • 6 p.m. – Arkansas vs. UCLA
  • 8:30 p.m. – San Jose State vs. Nebraska
  • 11 p.m. – Howard vs. Nebraska

Yankee Stadium

  • 12:30 p.m. – Oregon vs. Missouri
  • 3 p.m. – Utah vs. Cal State Fullerton
  • 5:30 p.m. – Utah vs. Northwestern 
  • 8 p.m. – Saint Mary’s vs. Northwestern
  • 10:30 p.m. – Saint Mary’s vs. Hawai'i

Fenway Park

  • 12:30 p.m. – BYU vs. Duke
  • 3 p.m. – Minnesota vs. Duke
  • 5:30 p.m. – Minnesota vs. Tennessee
  • 8 p.m. – UC Riverside vs. Rutgers
  • 10:30 p.m. – UC Santa Barbara vs. Washington

Des Moines Field

  • 12:30 p.m. – Seattle vs. Long Beach State
  • 3 p.m. – Oregon State vs. Long Beach State
  • 5:30 p.m. – Oregon State vs. Rutgers
  • 8 p.m. – UC Santa Barbara vs. San Diego State
  • 10:30 p.m. – UC Riverside vs. San Diego State

Pawtucket Field

  • 12:30 p.m. – Bethune-Cookman vs. Fresno State
  • 3 p.m. – CSU vs. Nevada
  • 5:30 p.m. – Seattle vs. California
  • 8 p.m. – Loyola Marymount vs. California
  • 10:30 p.m. – Loyola Marymount vs. San Jose State

Sunday, Feb. 23

Wrigley Field

  • Noon – Duke vs. UCLA
  • 2 p.m. – Nebraska vs. Utah
  • 4 p.m. – San Diego State vs. Hawai'i

Yankee Stadium

  • 12:30 p.m. – Washington vs. Fresno State
  • 2:30 p.m. – Hawai'i vs. Loyola Marymount
  • 4:30 p.m. – Howard vs. Loyola Marymount

Fenway Park

  • Noon – Northwestern vs. California
  • 2 p.m. – San Diego State vs. Saint Mary’s

Des Moines Field

  • 12:30 p.m. – Long Beach State vs. Minnesota
  • 2:30 p.m. – Long Beach State vs. Howard

Pawtucket Field

  • Noon – Seattle vs. Oregon State
  • 2 p.m. – San Jose State vs. UC Santa Barbara

How To Watch the 2025 Puerto Vallarta College Challenge

Watch the 2025 Puerto Vallarta College Challenge on FloSoftball and the FloSports App.

Replays of the games, highlights and breaking news will be on both platforms. 

FloSoftball will be streaming several other NCAA Division I College Softball tournaments, including the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Rocket City Softball Showcase, FAU Paradise Classic and the FAU Joan Joyce Classic.

2025 PVCC Team List - Session 1:

  • Florida State
  • Louisiana Tech
  • Northern Colorado
  • Oklahoma State

2025 PVCC Team List - Session 2:

  • Boise State
  • BYU
  • Florida International
  • Illinois State
  • Indiana
  • North Dakota State

When Is The Puerto Vallarta Softball Tournament?

Session 1 for PVCC will take place Feb. 6-9, followed by Session 2 from Feb. 13-16.

Puerto Vallarta College Challenge 2025 Schedule

All Times Central

PVCC Session 1

Feb. 6

  • 10 a.m. – Florida State vs. Oklahoma State
  • 1 p.m. – Florida State vs. Northern Colorado
  • 4 p.m. – Northern Colorado vs. LA Tech

Feb. 7

  • 1 p.m. – Florida State vs. LA Tech
  • 4 p.m. – Oklahoma State vs. LA Tech
  • 7 p.m. – Northern Colorado vs. Oklahoma State

Feb. 8

  • 1 p.m. – LA Tech vs. Northern Colorado
  • 4 p.m. – LA Tech vs. Florida State
  • 7 p.m. – Oklahoma State vs. Florida State

PVCC Session 2 

Feb. 12

  • Noon – North Dakota State vs. BYU

Feb. 13

  • 10 a.m. – Florida International vs. Boise State
  • 1 p.m. – Florida International vs. North Dakota State
  • 4 p.m. – BYU vs. Illinois State
  • 7 p.m. – Indiana vs. North Dakota State

Feb. 14

  • 10 a.m. – Florida International vs. Illinois State
  • 12:30 p.m. – Florida International vs. North Dakota State
  • 3 p.m. – Illinois State vs. Indiana
  • 6 p.m. – Boise State vs. Indiana
  • 8:30 p.m. – Boise State vs. BYU

Feb. 15

  • 10 a.m. – Illinois State vs. North Dakota State
  • 1 p.m. – Indiana vs. BYU
  • 4 p.m. – BYU vs. Florida International
  • 7 p.m. – Boise State vs. Florida International

Where Is The Puerto Vallarta Softball Tournament?  

The Puerto Vallarta College Challenge is being held at Nancy Almaraz Stadium in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

FloSoftball Archived Footage

Video footage from the event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloSoftball subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscription.

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