The battle of the valleys has taken center stage in GLIAC softball over the last few seasons, with Saginaw Valley State ascending through the ranks and consistently winning the GLIAC softball tournament, while still largely ceding the regular-season crown to longtime stalwart Grand Valley State.

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• College Softball Rankings 2026: Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma Lead Polls

Over the last two years, however, SVSU has matched and then surpassed GVSU, first being crowned co-champions in 2024 before the Cardinals won the title outright in 2025.

As the 2026 season approaches, the Cardinals have convinced the rest of the conference that they are the measuring stick, earning the top spot in the GLIAC softball coaches poll.

After making it to the Division 2 Women’s College World Series last season, SVSU has also earned national recognition and is ranked No. 5 in the 2026 NFCA preseason Top 25.

Here's everything to know about GLIAC softball heading into the 2026 season. 

How To Watch GLIAC Softball In 2026

GLIAC softball is streaming on FloCollege, FloBaseball and the FloSports app.

Live and on-demand coverage is available all season.

2026 GLIAC Softball Season Overview

• Teams: 8
• Teams ranked in Preseason Top 25: 1
• Defending regular-season champion: Saginaw Valley State
• Defending conference tournament champion: Saginaw Valley State

2025 GLIAC Softball Final Standings

1. Saginaw Valley State — 23-5 | 49-15
2. Grand Valley State — 17-11 | 27-26
3. Ferris State — 16-12 | 28-19
4. Parkside — 14-13 | 27-22
5. Wayne State — 12-16 | 23-32
6. Roosevelt — 11-17 | 17-30
7. Purdue Northwest — 9-18 | 14-32-1
8. Davenport — 9-19 | 18-30

GLIAC Regular-Season Champions

• 2025: Saginaw Valley State
• 2024: Grand Valley State, Saginaw Valley State
• 2023: Grand Valley State
• 2022: Grand Valley State
• 2021: Grand Valley State
• 2020: Season cancelled due to COVID-19
• 2019: Grand Valley State
• 2018: Grand Valley State
• 2017: Grand Valley State
• 2016: Wayne State

GLIAC Tournament Champions

• 2025: Saginaw Valley State
• 2024: Saginaw Valley State
• 2023: Saginaw Valley State
• 2022: Saginaw Valley State
• 2021: Grand Valley State
• 2020: No tournament
• 2019: Grand Valley State
• 2018: Grand Valley State
• 2017: Grand Valley State
• 2016: Wayne State

GLIAC Teams Ranked In 2026 NFCA D2 Preseason Poll

• No. 5 Saginaw Valley State

2026 GLIAC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll

1. Saginaw Valley State
2. Grand Valley State
3. Ferris State
4. Parkside
5. Wayne State
6. Davenport
7. Roosevelt
8. Purdue Northwest

2026 NFCA D2 Preseason Coaches Poll

1. UT Tyler
2. Tampa
3. Western Washington
4. Pace
5. Saginaw Valley State
6. North Georgia
7. Shippensburg
8. West Texas A&M
9. Augustana
10. Francis Marion
11. Central Oklahoma
12. Auburn Montgomery
13. Angelo State
14. Cal State San Marcos
15. East Stroudsburg
16. Kutztown
17. Cal State East Bay
18. Rogers State
19. Lenoir-Rhyne
20. Saint Leo
21. Wilmington
22. Indianapolis
23. Barry
24. Missouri Southern
25. Oklahoma Christian

Receiving Votes:

Southern Arkansas; Hillsdale; Concordia; Wingate

How To Watch Mary Nutter Classic 2026

Every game of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic is streaming on FloCollege, FloSoftball and the FloSports app.

Mary Nutter Classic 2026 Schedule

Thursday, Feb. 19

Wrigley Field

• 1:00 p.m. ET — Auburn vs. Oregon
• 4:30 p.m. ET — Texas A&M vs. Oregon
• 7:30 p.m. ET — Fullerton vs. Oklahoma
• 8:30 p.m. ET — San Diego State vs. Oklahoma

Yankee

• 1:30 p.m. ET — Utah vs. Bethune Cookman
• 4:00 p.m. ET — South Carolina vs. Washington
• 6:30 p.m. ET — Fresno State vs. Texas Tech
• 11:30 p.m. ET — Team Japan vs. Texas Tech

Fenway

• 1:00 p.m. ET — CBU vs. Oregon State
• 4:30 p.m. ET — Nevada vs. Rutgers
• 7:30 p.m. ET — Texas A&M vs. Duke
• 11:30 p.m. ET — Fullerton vs. Rutgers

Des Moines

• 1:00 p.m. ET — UC San Diego vs. California
• 4:00 p.m. ET — BYU vs. CSUN
• 7:30 p.m. ET — BYU vs. Hawaii
• 11:30 p.m. ET — Duke vs. Hawaii

Friday, Feb. 20

Wrigley Field

• 1:00 p.m. ET — Bethune Cookman vs. Texas Tech
• 4:30 p.m. ET — Duke vs. Oklahoma
• 7:30 p.m. ET — Nevada vs. UCLA
• 11:00 p.m. ET — Duke vs. UCLA

Yankee

• 1:00 p.m. ET — California vs. Fresno State
• 4:30 p.m. ET — California vs. Nevada
• 7:30 p.m. ET — UC Riverside vs. San Diego State
• 11:00 p.m. ET — Saint Mary’s vs. San Diego State

Fenway

• 1:00 p.m. ET — South Carolina vs. Nebraska
• 4:30 p.m. ET — Hawaii vs. Nebraska
• 7:30 p.m. ET — Oregon vs. South Carolina
• 11:00 p.m. ET — Oregon vs. Auburn

Des Moines

• 1:00 p.m. ET — CBU vs. Seattle
• 4:30 p.m. ET — CSUN vs. Seattle
• 7:30 p.m. ET — CSUN vs. Utah
• 11:00 p.m. ET — Oregon State vs. Hawaii

Pawtucket

• 1:30 p.m. ET — CBU vs. Fresno State
• 4:30 p.m. ET — Long Beach State vs. BYU
• 7:30 p.m. ET — Rutgers vs. LMU
• 11:30 p.m. ET — Rutgers vs. Utah

Saturday, Feb. 21

Wrigley Field

• 12:30 p.m. ET — Oklahoma vs. Long Beach State
• 3:00 p.m. ET — Oklahoma vs. California
• 6:30 p.m. ET — Fresno State vs. UCLA
• 10:30 p.m. ET — South Carolina vs. Saint Mary’s

Yankee

• 12:30 p.m. ET — Seattle vs. San Diego State
• 3:30 p.m. ET — Texas Tech vs. Fullerton
• 7:30 p.m. ET — Nebraska vs. Texas A&M
• 11:30 p.m. ET — LMU vs. Texas A&M

Fenway

• 12:30 p.m. ET — Auburn vs. Duke
• 3:00 p.m. ET — Utah vs. LMU
• 6:30 p.m. ET — Utah vs. CBU
• 10:30 p.m. ET — Hawaii vs. Team Japan

Des Moines

• 12:30 p.m. ET — Seattle vs. UC Riverside
• 3:00 p.m. ET — Washington vs. BYU
• 6:30 p.m. ET — Rutgers vs. Team Japan
• 10:30 p.m. ET — Long Beach State vs. Saint Mary’s

Pawtucket

• 1:30 p.m. ET — Oregon State vs. Bethune Cookman
• 4:30 p.m. ET — Bethune Cookman vs. Long Beach State

Sunday, Feb. 22

Wrigley Field

• 12:00 p.m. ET — Oklahoma vs. Washington
• 12:00 p.m. ET — Texas A&M vs. UCLA
• 2:30 p.m. ET — LMU vs. Team Japan

Yankee

• 12:00 p.m. ET — Nebraska vs. Seattle
• 2:30 p.m. ET — California vs. Nebraska

Fenway

• 12:00 p.m. ET — Texas Tech vs. UC Riverside
• 2:30 p.m. ET — LMU vs. Washington

Des Moines

• 12:00 p.m. ET — Auburn vs. California
• 2:30 p.m. ET — UC Riverside vs. Utah

Pawtucket

• 12:30 p.m. ET — Long Beach State vs. Oregon State
• 2:30 p.m. ET — Long Beach State vs. Saint Mary’s

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