Why Are College Softball Teams Wearing Teal? The Meaning Explained
All 15 Southeastern Conference softball teams will be wearing teal on Saturday, April 11, to honor a very important person.
2026 marks the sixth annual "All for Alex" weekend to honor the legacy of Mississippi State's Alex Wilcox.
Wilcox was a member of the 2018 MSU softball team who inspired the nation with her courageous fight against ovarian cancer. That fight ultimately took her life in the summer of 2018. She was just 18 years old.
Since her death, the Bulldogs retired her No. 8 jersey.
When the university retired her No. 8 jersey on Sept. 15, 2018, Wilcox became the first female student-athlete in Mississippi State history to receive the honor. All 13 SEC softball teams at the time were awarded the league's Sportsmanship Award in 2018 for their united support of Wilcox throughout her final year of competition.
There are seven SEC conference games scheduled, and No. 21 LSU is hosting No. 12 Arizona.
Multiple non-conference teams nationwide are expected to participate, including South Alabama, where Wilcox's sister, Kassidy, played, and UTSA, where her former head coach, Vann Steuedeman, now leads the Roadrunners.
Coaches from around the SEC participated in a video ahead of the weekend to let the world know that no one fights alone.
Why We Wear Teal 🦋🩵
— Auburn Softball (@AuburnSoftball) April 11, 2026
All 15 teams from across the SEC will join forces today to honor the life and legacy of Alex Wilcox.#WarEagle | #NoOneFightsAlone pic.twitter.com/doOBSJ49Jf
The "All For Alex" campaign is a joint effort between LSU head coach Beth Torina and MSU head coach Samantha Ricketts. It was approved at the SEC coaches' meetings in the fall of 2019 before it was put on hold when the 2020 conference season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
LSU also hosted a "Geaux Teal" Ovarian Cancer Awareness Walk on Saturday morning, an event Torina started to raise awareness and provide education about ovarian cancer for women of all ages.
The 1.5-mile walk has been happening since 2013, and hundreds of participants showed up Saturday morning at Tiger Park.
On Saturday, No. 13 Mississippi State hosts No. 8 Arkansas. First pitch on Saturday is set for 2 p.m. CT, and Nusz Park gates will open at 1 p.m.
Additional host schools for the "All for Alex" weekend in 2026 include Auburn, No. 16 Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and No. 4 Texas.
We are 𝐀𝐋𝐋 for Alex 🦋
— Mississippi State Softball (@HailStateSB) April 11, 2026
📝 https://t.co/FYRLFCAxze
📊 https://t.co/mOez2bKNTE
💻 https://t.co/Lz1gAcBVIx
🎙️ https://t.co/Wj5HpDxFBP
🎟️ https://t.co/rQsjro4qpB#NoOneFightsAlone | #HailState pic.twitter.com/YbJ7646xzT
About Alex Wilcox
Born on July 1, 1999 to Shaun and LeAnn, Wilcox was raised in Brantley, Ala. She helped lead Brantley High School to three AHSAA state championships and earned AHSAA State Tournament MVP honors in 2014 and 2016.
Wilcox was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December 2015 and continued to play through treatment.
Despite undergoing radiation and chemotherapy, Wilcox made her collegiate debut during the 2018 season. She appeared in eight games and made three starts at the designated player.
Wilcox recorded three hits across 15 at-bats.
The outfielder passed away on Jun 25, 2018.
-1d7db99dccc9abef7b9378f016b22b68.webp "Maren Angus-Coombs")
Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. She has been covering college softball since 2016 for various outlets including Softball America, ESPNW and Hurrdat Sports. She is currently the managing editor of Softball On SI and also serves as an analyst for Nebraska softball games on Nebraska Public Media and B1G+.