After securing 14 conference victories, the third most in program history, the Wisconsin Badgers landed the No. 7 seed in the 2026 Big Ten softball tournament.
Wisconsin’s first round opponent is No. 10 Purdue, a team they won two of three games against this season. Not only did they win that series, but they erased a 6-0 deficit in game two, which was the second-largest comeback in program history.
The Big Ten Network will air every single conference tournament game. The tournament kicks off on Wednesday, May 6, with Wisconsin being the third game of four to take place in College Park at approximately 4:30 p.m. ET.
Maryland, the conference tournament host, did not make the cut. The Terrapins 5-19 record has them on the outside looking in, as only the top 12 teams make the tournament.
Should Wisconsin prevail, they’ll face No. 2 Oregon exactly 24 hours later. The four teams to receive a first-round bye include: No. 1 Nebraska, No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 UCLA, and No. 4 Indiana. The teams battling it out in the bottom half of Wisconsin’s bracket include No. 6 Northwestern vs. No. 11 Penn State, with the winner taking on No. 3 UCLA.
The other two first-round matches see No. 5 Washington facing No. 12 Minnesota (winner plays No. 4 Indiana) and No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Michigan (winner plays No. 1 Nebraska).
The 2026 Big Ten tournament champion will be crowned on Saturday, May 9, at 4 p.m. ET.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: 2026 Big Ten softball tournament bracket revealed
Reporting by Jordon Lawrenz, Badgers Wire / Badgers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
