Oklahoma Opens 2026 Season as Consensus Top 3 Team

OU won't start the 2026 season on top, but Patty Gasso's Sooners are far from underdogs as their quest for another national title starts next month.

Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso gives instructions to second baseman Ailana Agbayani. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma won’t start the 2026 season on top of the rankings, but the Sooners are getting plenty of respect ahead of next month’s season-opener. 

OU will start the season as the consensus No. 3 team after the NFCA Preseason Poll was released on Tuesday morning.

The Sooners were also rated at No. 3 in the ESPN/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 as well as in the D1Softball and Softball America preseason polls. 

In all four polls, Oklahoma trails Texas and Texas Tech. 

The Red Raiders eliminated the Sooners in the semifinals of the 2025 WCWS, ending OU’s streak of four-straight national titles. 

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Texas Tech is led by former Stanford star NiJaree Canady, who is back for one final year to finally capture her national title. 

Mike White’s Longhorns return a handful of key players from last year’s squad, which took down the Red Raiders for the national title. 

Catcher Reese Atwood and ace Teagan Kavan both return, as does slugger Katie Stewart, infielder Viviana Martinez, utility player Leighann Goode and pitchers Citlaly Gutierrez and Cambria Salmon for the Longhorns. 

Patty Gasso’s Sooners have their share of stars returning, too. 

Junior duo Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering are back at Love’s Field, as are infielders Nelly McEnroe-Marinas, Gabbie Garcia and Ailana Agbayani. 

Sydney Barker is back after an outstanding freshman season as well as outfielder Abby Dayton and catcher Isabela Emerling, and returning pitchers Kierston Deal and Audrey Lowry will be joined by LSU transfer Sydney Berzon and Ole Miss transfer Miali Guachinio in the circle. 

Sydney Barker played a key role for the Sooners both in the outfield and at first base as a true freshman in 2025. | Carson Field, Sooners on SI

Gasso also signed the nation’s top-rated freshman class to join her returning core. 

OU will battle Arizona from Feb. 6-8, which will be a top 25 series per all the preseason polls. 

Duke and Washington also got love across all preseason polls. 

Oklahoma will take on Duke on Feb. 20 at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, and then the Sooners will meet Washington on Feb. 22 in their final game at the Mary Nutter Classic. 

Ole Miss, which featured in the bottom of the preseason top 25’s, will host OU from March 21-23, then the Sooners will close March with a road series at LSU. The Tigers will start the year as a preseason top 15 team. 

Oklahoma will head to Austin from April 10-12 for the Red River Rivalry, then the Sooners will return to Devon Park for a single Bedlam contest against Oklahoma State on April 15.

The Sooners will close the regular season with three straight ranked series against Arkansas (April 17-19 at Love’s Field), Georgia (April 24-26 at Love’s Field) and Texas A&M (April 30-May 2 in College Station).

Oklahoma’s 2026 campaign will officially open against Arizona State on Feb. 5 in Tempe, AZ.