Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Reveals Loaded 2027 Softball Lineup

Missing college softball already? Don’t worry, there are already important dates to put down on your calendar for 2027.

Following the announcement of the Shriner’s Clearwater Invitational, the annual Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic has released dates, teams, and location. A full schedule is set to come out on Oct. 1, with tickets available later.

The Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic will return to Cathedral City, Calif., at the Big League Dreams Complex, February 25-28. In the tournament’s 23rd year, the event once again features some of the biggest names in softball with 26 teams competing across four days.

We have a little surprise for your Saturday 😏

Here are the 2027 #MNCC teams!

The schedule and tickets are coming this fall, only to https://t.co/EMfBbwHMOy! 🥎#MNCC | #BLDCathedralCity pic.twitter.com/4GwWfW43b2
— Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic (@NutterClassic) August 22, 2026

Teams Attending

Bethune Cookman
BYU
Cal State Fullerton
California Baptist
Fresno State
University of Hawaii
Long Beach State
Loyola Marymount
Mississippi State
Nebraska
Nevada
Oregon
Oregon State
Rutgers
Saint Mary’s College
San Diego State
Seattle University
Tennessee
Texas Tech
UC Davis
UCF
UCLA
UC Riverside
UC San Diego
Utah
Washington

As one of the most competitive tournaments before conference play, several can’t-miss matchups may set the season’s tone early. The field includes five of the eight teams that made the Women's College World Series (WCWS) in 2026: Nebraska, Texas Tech, UCLA, Mississippi State, and Tennessee.

Last Season’s Mary Nutter Classic

Texas Tech, the WCWS runner-ups, finished the tournament nearly undefeated, taking a loss to Team Japan.

The Saint Mary Gaels also return after exploding offensively in Cathedral City last season. Though they went 3-2, they beat Long Beach 13-10 in a dramatic final game after a three-run bottom of the sixth. Loyola Marymount also secured three strong wins.

The UCLA Bruins began the season with a historic 23-1 win over Auburn. The offense scored the fourth-most runs in a single game in program history, with the lineup producing 16 hits, nine of which were extra bases, and seven walks. The 18-run third inning also tied for second-most in a single frame in NCAA Division I softball history, and is the most by a team since 2021.

BOT 3, 2 Outs | UCLA 17, Auburn 0

It’s a 14-run third inning for the Bruins. Megan Grant is up to bat for the third time of the inning as well.

Wow.
— UCLA Softball (@UCLASoftball) February 20, 2026

Though no clear winner of the Mary Nutter Classic, the Oklahoma Sooners, who aren’t on the slate for 2027, came out with a record of 5-1, while the Nebraska Cornhuskers went undefeated.

Tennessee now joins in 2027 after skipping 2026. The Lady Vols last appeared in 2025, going 3-2 against a field that included Oregon and UCLA.

About Mary Nutter

The beloved tournament was named after Nutter, who won the first of three NAIA District 10 titles and three District 10 Coach of the Year honors at Pittsburg State in 1981, 1982, and 1985.

She compiled a 204-125 record over eight years at Pittsburg State, served as an assistant coach for the 1983 Pan American Tri-Nationals team, and was a member of the 1984 U.S. Pan American selection committee. Nutter was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1988.

As a player, Nutter was a two-time first-team All-American (1974-75) for the Lansing Laurels, a member of the ASA Women’s Major fastpitch team, and spent 1976 as a player for the Michigan Travelers of the Women’s Professional Softball League.

Nutter stamped her mark on the sport when she founded National Sports Clinics, an organization providing softball coaches at all levels access to the best tools to help them become better leaders.

Nutter unexpectedly passed away in July 2012, but her passion for education across softball still lives on strongly at every level of the game today.

Add us as a preferred source on Google