KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Bellevue University softball team will be heading to Sioux Center, Iowa, on May 13-16 to compete in the NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round – Sioux Center Bracket. The Bruins will open play on May 13 against St. Xavier University at Open Air Park.
BU received an at-large berth into the Opening Round after finishing the regular season with a 32-20 overall record and a 19-3 mark in the North Star Athletic Association. The Bruins won the NSAA regular season title and finished as the NSAA Tournament runners-up. Dickinson State University earned the league’s automatic berth after winning the NSAA Tournament on Monday with a 4-3 victory over the Bruins in the title game.
The 2024 NAIA Softball National Championship features an expanded field of 48 teams. There are two Opening Round sites that feature four teams and eight with five team brackets, each playing in a double-elimination format. The champions from each of the 10 opening round tournaments will advance to the 43rd Annual NAIA Softball World Series in Columbus, Ga., from May 23-29. These programs will participate in a double-elimination national championship at the South Commons Complex. The World Series bracket will be announced late in the day on May 16.
The Sioux Center Opening Round site participants include No. 1 Northwestern (Iowa) College, No. 2 Maddona University, No. 3 Grand View University, No. 4 St. Xavier University, and No. 5 Bellevue University. The tournament will be hosted by Northwestern College.
Northwestern (48-5) is ranked No. 9 in the latest NAIA top 25 poll. The Red Raiders won the Great Plains Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles.
Madonna (47-3) is ranked No. 11. The Crusaders captured the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships.
Grand View (33-17), St. Xavier (27-12), and Bellevue (32-20) all received votes in the latest NAIA top 25 poll. St. Xavier won the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament title.
Bellevue will be making its 11th appearance in the NAIA National Tournament and its first since 2019.
NAIA National Championship Opening Round
Sioux Center Bracket |Open Air Park
Monday, May 13
Game 1: No. 4 St. Xavier vs. No. 5 Bellevue Game 2: No. 2 Madonna vs. No. 3 Grand View
Tuesday, May 14
Game 3: No. 1 Northwestern (Iowa) vs. Game 1 winner
Game 4: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser
Wednesday, May 15
Game 5: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner
Game 6: Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Winner
Game 7: Game 6 Winner vs. Game 5 Loser
Thursday, May 16
Game 8: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner
Game 9: If Necessary
* – Game times will be announced in the coming days.
