Defending Champion Oklahoma Announces 2024 Schedule

The following release information was issued by Oklahoma and information and photo courtesy of Oklahoma…

NORMAN, Okla. – The reigning three-time national champion Oklahoma softball team and head coach Patty Gasso announced the program’s 2024 schedule. OU’s slate will feature 22 games at Love’s Field, the Sooners’ new softball home.

Opening day is scheduled for Feb. 8 at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, the home opener is set for March 1 and Big 12 conference play will begin March 8.

The Sooners will play 16 schools that reached the 2023 NCAA Tournament including six Super Regional participants and two Women’s College World Series qualifiers. Fifteen of Oklahoma’s contests are against opponents that were ranked in both final 2023 national polls with an additional seven games featuring opponents who received votes in each final poll.

The Sooners have reached the postseason in each of Gasso’s 29 years as head coach and have made 13 consecutive trips to Super Regionals and 16 appearances in the WCWS with seven national championships.

Oklahoma begins the 2024 season at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Feb. 8-10. Opening day features two contests with a 10:30 a.m. CT tilt against Utah Valley and a 1 p.m. CT start versus Duke. OU will also play Washington and Long Beach State the following two days.

The Sooners travel to Lake Charles, La., Feb. 16-18 to play McNeese State, Central Arkansas and Lamar. OU faces 2023 NCAA tournament qualifiers McNeese and Central Arkansas twice over the tournament with one contest against Lamar.

Oklahoma plays in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Feb. 23-25, for the 18^th consecutive season and will face Mississippi State, Wisconsin, San Diego State, Notre Dame and Loyola Marymount. OU has appeared at the event every season it’s been held since 2006.

March 1 marks the highly anticipated opening of Love’s Field and will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony before Oklahoma hosts Miami (Ohio) at 2 p.m. CT and Liberty at 5 p.m. The Sooners will also play Louisiana and Liberty on March 2 before closing their five-game tournament with a second tilt against the Cajuns on March 3. OU continues the homestand with a March 6 midweek contest against Texas A&M Commerce.

Oklahoma’s final season in the Big 12 begins with a three-game series against Iowa State at Love’s Field March 8-10. The Sooners close their homestand on March 12 with a midweek game versus Tarleton State.

OU travels to Lubbock, Texas, March 15-17 for a weekend series at Texas Tech then returns home to host UT Arlington on March 20. The Sooners open a March 22-24 series against Baylor at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City before playing the second and third games of the set at Love’s Field.

A midweek game at Wichita State on March 26 begins a seven-game road stretch for OU with weekend series at Kansas, March 26-28, and at Texas, April 5-7.

Oklahoma meets BYU for three games April 11-13 at Love’s Field then faces Tulsa at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium for an April 16 midweek tilt. The Sooners then host Houston April 19-21 before traveling to UCF for a series April 26-28.

The Bedlam Series presented by Phillips 66 closes the regular season at Love’s Field over the weekend of May 3-5.

Postseason play begins with the Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship in Oklahoma City, May 8-11, at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium as OU looks to secure its sixth conference tournament title in the last seven competed tournaments. NCAA Regionals will be played May 17-19 at host institutions with the Super Regionals scheduled for May 24-26.

The 2024 Women’s College World Series will be held in Oklahoma City May 30-June 7 as OU pursues its fourth consecutive and eighth overall national championship.

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