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How to watch: Tennessee softball vs. Texas in the Women's College World Series

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey05/28/26GrantRamey

Tennessee softball will start its run at the Women’s College World Series on Thursday against No. 2 Texas in a 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time start on ESPN at Devon Park in Oklahoma City. 

The first game of the day features Texas Tech and Mississippi State at Noon ET on ESPN. The winners and losers from the Tennessee-Texas and Texas Tech-Mississippi State games will matchup on Friday and Saturday in the double-elimination format. 

Thursday’s late games are Alabama vs. UCLA at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 followed by Nebraska vs. Arkansas at 9:30 p.m. ET, also on ESPN2.

Tennessee (47-10) is the No. 7 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and swept Georgia in the Knoxville Super Regional to return to the Women’s College World Series. Texas (46-11) is the No. 2 national seed and advanced after beating Arizona State 5-0 in Game 3 of the Austin Super Regional on Sunday.

The Longhorns lost to Arizona State 4-1 in Game 1 of the Super Regional on Friday, then rallied late for a 4-3 win Saturday night, followed by the 5-0 win on Sunday to advance to face Tennessee in the College World Series.

Texas beat Arizona State in three games in Austin Super Regional

Alabama is the No. 1 overall seed, ahead of No. 4 Nebraska, No. 5 Arkansas, No. 8 UCLA and No. 11 Texas Tech. Mississippi State is not a national seed but is in the Women’s College World Series for the first time — it’s also the first World Series appearance for Arkansas softball — after upsetting No. 3 Oklahoma in the Norman Super Regional.

Texas Tech won on the road after beating No. 6 Florida in three games in the Gainesville Super Regional.

Tennessee didn’t play Texas during the regular season or in the SEC Tournament. The Longhorns ended the 2025 season for the Lady Vols in a 2-0 win in the College World Series last June, after taking two of three from Tennessee in Austin during the regular season. 

Texas went through Wagner, Wisconsin and Baylor in the Austin Regional after winning the SEC Tournament with wins over Ole Miss, Georgia and Alabama.

Tennessee on Friday became the first team to punch a ticket to the 2026 Women’s College World Series. The Lady Vols are headed to Oklahoma City for the 10th time in program history after completing a two-game sweep of Georgia at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium in the best-of-three Knoxville Super Regional, winning 3-1 on Thursday and 2-1 on Friday.

Lady Vols in Women’s College World Series for third time in four years

It’s the third trip to the College World Series in the last four years for Tennessee.

The Lady Vols went 2-2 in the College World Series last year, losing to Oklahoma in the opener before wins over Florida and UCLA to stay alive in the double-elimination format. The Lady Vols were eliminated in a 2-0 loss to Texas.

The 2023 College World Series started with a win over Alabama, then a loss to Oklahoma. Tennessee stayed alive with a win over Oklahoma State, then saw its season end in a loss to Florida State.

The Lady Vols have finished as the runner up in the College World Series twice, losing in two games in the championship series to Oklahoma in 2013 and three games to Arizona in 2007.

Tennessee advanced to the Super Regional round after a win over Northern Kentucky and two wins over Virginia in the Knoxville Regional last week. The Lady Vols started this season a perfect 26-0 before losing 1-0 at Mississippi State on March 14.