Where Alabama Softball is Seeded in NCAA Tournament, Tuscaloosa Regional Opponents

Alabama softball is dancing into the NCAA postseason.

The Crimson Tide earned the No. 1 overall seed in the field, marking the 21st straight postseason that Alabama will host a regional at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa. USC Upstate (36-21), Belmont (40-11) and Southeastern Louisiana (46-14) will be joining the Crimson Tide at Rhoads to round out the Tuscaloosa Regional.

All three opponents have been sent to Tuscaloosa for a regional within the last two seasons. USC Upstate and Southeastern Louisiana played at Rhoads in the 2024 postseason, and Belmont played in the Tuscaloosa Regional last season. Belmont has one of the best pitchers in the country in Maya Johnson with a 27-2 record and 0.66 ERA.

This is Alabama's first time reaching the No. 1 overall seed since 2010. NCAA selection committee chair Natalie Honnen said Alabama got the nod for the top spot because of its nine wins against the top-nine seeds.

The NCAA slightly changed up the way the seeding looks this year for softball and baseball where it will be more similar to basketball with four different regions and teams seeded 1-8 in each region. Alabama is the top overall seed and also a No. 1 seed in its region with Southeastern Louisiana being the 8-seed in its region.

Alabama (49-7) is coming off one of its best regular seasons in program history. It made a run to the SEC tournament championship game before losing to defending national champion Texas. Head coach Patrick Murphy was named the SEC Coach of the Year for the sixth time, and ace Jocelyn Briski earned SEC Pitcher of the Year.

Murphy will be trying to lead the program to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City for the 16th time after missing out last season. Alabama won its lone national championship in 2012.

Alabama will open play on Friday at noon CT against USC Upstate on SEC Network. The regional weekend is double elimination. If the Crimson Tide advances out of regionals, it will also host a super regional at Rhoads Stadium against the winner of the Baton Rouge regional consisting of LSU, Akron, South Alabama and Virginia Tech.

The SEC has six of the top eight seeds and nine of the 16 national seeds. Twelve of the 15 SEC softball programs made the NCAA field. Alabama has wins over five of the other teams in the top nine.

Top-16 national seeds

1. Alabama
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma
4. Nebraska
5. Arkansas
6. Florida
7. Tennessee
8. UCLA
9. Florida State
10. Georgia
11. Texas Tech
12. Duke
13. Oklahoma State
14. Oregon
15. Texas A&M
16. LSU

Full NCAA tournament bracket

2026 NCAA softball tournament bracket | NCAA

Alabama's past NCAA tournament national seeding

2025- 15
2024- 14
2023- 5
2022- 6
2021- 3
2019- 8
2018- 12
2017- 16
2016- 6
2015- 6
2014- 2
2013- 10
2012- 2
2011- 2
2010- 1
2009- 4
2008- 3
2007- 11
2006- 5
2005- 12

This story will be updated.

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