College softball bracketology: Projecting regional hosts, national seeds

It'll be interesting to see how the selection committee views RPI when deciding national seeds in 2026. While Oklahoma ranks No. 6 in both the NCAA and D1Softball RPI, it leads the country with 16 Quad 1 wins while leading the SEC with an 18-3 conference record, two games ahead of second place Florida.

Arkansas ranks No. 1 in the NCAA's RPI, although it's seventh in the SEC standings. The Razorbacks benefit from D1Softball's No. 1-ranked Strength of Schedule, although they come in at No. 5 in our projections due to their 9-7 record against Quad 1 teams. Texas (No. 2 in RPI), Alabama (No. 3 in RPI) and Tennessee (No. 8 in RPI) get the edge over Arkansas thanks to each program having double-digit Quad 1 wins.

While Nebraska hasn't faced the toughest slate in the Big Ten this season, the Cornhuskers' nonconference scheduling gives them a huge boost heading into the tournament. Nebraska faced the No. 1 nonconference strength of schedule this season, going 19-4 in such games with wins over Texas, LSU, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. Big Red also has a 20-1 record in conference play, and took two of three against UCLA earlier in the season.

Texas Tech will be another interesting case. The Red Raiders did nothing but improve their roster on paper after finishing runners-up to Texas last season, and they have an impressive 48-4 record with their only losses to Nebraska, Arizona, Utah and Texas State. Texas Tech has a 10-2 record in Quad 1 games, which should boost its seeding despite ranking No. 11 in the NCAA's RPI.

Florida's seeding could also have some variance. The Gators rank No. 5 in the NCAA's RPI but No. 1 in D1Softball's RPI. It also has the second-best SEC record this season (16-5) and has an 11-6 record in Quad 1 games.

UCLA comes in at No. 9 as the second Big Ten host, ahead of No. 10 Florida State and No. 11 Duke. FSU, the frontrunner to win the ACC, gets the nod over its conference opponent due to its 9-0 record in Quad 1 games and impressive record, while ranking two spots higher (No. 10) in the NCAA's RPI.

It gets tricky after Duke's spot in the pecking order, as LSU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Oregon and Georgia all have arguments for any of the final five seeds. The Ducks find themselves in a weird position with a No. 9 ranking in the NCAA's RPI, although they have a 3-3 record in Quad 1 games. Oregon will likely host, but its record and lack of quality wins don't quite match its metrics.

• On the outside looking in: Mississippi State (36-15), Stanford (34-12), Arizona (34-13), UCF (36-14), Virginia Tech (41-9).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College softball bracketology: Projecting regional hosts in 2026