Softball Unveils 2026 Big 12 Conference Schedule

ORLANDO – In conjunction with the announcement made by the league office Thursday afternoon, the UCF softball team has revealed its 2026 Big 12 Conference schedule, a slate that includes four home series and four road series.

The Knights’ eight 2026 league opponents include Oklahoma State, Baylor, Texas Tech, Houston, Utah, Arizona State, Kansas and Iowa State. Each of the Cowgirls, Red Raiders and Sun Devils joined the Knights in earning a bid to the 2025 NCAA Tournament, with Texas Tech advancing as far as the Women's College World Series National Championship series.

UCF’s 2026 Big 12 Conference schedule is as follows:

March 6-8: at Oklahoma State

March 13-15: vs. Baylor

March 20-22: vs. Texas Tech

March 27-29: at Houston

April 2-4: vs. Utah

April 10-12: at Arizona State

April 17-19: vs. Kansas

May 1-3: at Iowa State

After producing a 12-15 record in league play throughout its first go-around in the Big 12 Conference in 2024, the Black and Gold went 12-12 in their 24 conference matchups last spring. UCF earned series wins over then-No. 4 Arizona, BYU, Houston and Kansas before it clinched the first Big 12 Conference Tournament victory in program history over Utah.

March 6-8: at Oklahoma State – Stillwater, Okla.

The Knights will kick off conference play with a meeting with the Oklahoma State Cowgirls in Stillwater March 6-8. Oklahoma State represented one of UCF’s three 2026 conference opponents to earn an NCAA Tournament bid last season.

The Cowgirls in 2025 produced a 35-20 overall record, including a 13-9 mark in league play, en route to their berth in the NCAA Fayetteville Regional hosted by the Arkansas Razorbacks.

UCF notably earned its first victory over Oklahoma State under head coach Cindy Ball-Malone in Orlando last season, toppling the then-No. 21 Cowgirls, 12-6, behind a Kaitlyn Felton complete game and a nine-run first inning, the highest-scoring single inning for a Knights team since 2020. The effort also marked the sixth of UCF’s eventual seven top 25 ranked wins last season.

March 13-15: vs. Baylor – Orlando, Fla.

Following the team’s early Oklahoma trip, UCF will return home to host the Baylor Bears for the first time since the 2017 campaign.

The Knights last spring made their second Big 12 road trip to Waco in as many seasons, where they earned their first win over Baylor as conference opponents. The team bounced back from consecutive game one and two losses with a convincing 7-2 game three win, highlighted by three home runs and a dominant showing by the Knights’ relief corps.

Baylor in 2025 went an even 27-27 overall, accompanied by an 11-13 mark in Big 12 Conference play.

March 20-22: vs. Texas Tech – Orlando, Fla.

One of the biggest tests the Knights will encounter throughout the 2026 slate, the defending 2025 Big 12 Conference regular-season and tournament champion Texas Tech Red Raiders will make the trip to Orlando beginning March 20.

Led by the addition of 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year NiJaree Canady, the Red Raiders enjoyed the most prolific season in program history last spring, punching their ticket to their first Women’s College World Series while producing a 54-14 overall record, as well as a 20-4 mark in Big 12 Conference play.

The squad advanced as far as the championship series in Oklahoma City, pushing the Texas Longhorns to a decisive game three before the Longhorns claimed their first National Championship.

March 27-29: at Houston – Houston, Texas

The Knights’ second conference road trip of the spring sees UCF return to Houston, Texas for a three-game set with the Cougars.

UCF has enjoyed great success against their longtime conference foe in recent years, having won 15 of the teams’ last 17 matchups dating back to 2021 while boasting a 37-23 lead in the all-time series.

The Black and Gold have won both series against Houston since the two squads made the jump to the Big 12 Conference, sweeping a three-game set in Houston in 2024 and taking two of three in Orlando last season.

April 2-4: vs. Utah – Orlando, Fla.

A team UCF met for the first time in the Big 12 during the conference tournament last spring, the Utah Utes will make just their second all-time trip to Orlando to begin the month of April.

The two teams met in the opening round of the tournament in Oklahoma City May 7, 2025, a contest UCF won on the strength of 6.2 strong innings by redshirt freshman right-hander Isabella Vega and a walk-off two-run Ashleigh Griffin home run. The contest gave UCF its first Big 12 Conference Tournament win in program history.

UCF’s winning effort also pushed its all-time record against Utah to 2-0, with the lone previous meeting between the programs a 4-3 Knights win in Orlando March 11, 2016.

April 10-12: at Arizona State – Tempe, Ariz.

For the second consecutive season, UCF will make a conference road trip to the Grand Canyon State, this time to Tempe for a weekend series with the Arizona State Sun Devils.

The two teams met in Orlando in 2025, a series that saw the Knights take the middle of the three games by a dominant 11-0 final score in six innings. Freshman catcher Beth Damon recorded her first career multi-home run game, including her first career grand slam, and redshirt freshman right-hander Isabella Vega spun a six-inning, two-hit complete game.

The Sun Devils last spring earned their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2022, going 35-21 overall and 14-10 in conference play. Arizona State downed then-No. 23 Oklahoma State in the opening round of the Big 12 Conference Tournament, 2-1, before falling to then-No. 11 Texas Tech in the semifinal round.

April 17-19: vs. Kansas – Orlando, Fla.

UCF’s penultimate conference series of the season also represents the team’s home Big 12 finale, a set against the Kansas Jayhawks.

The Knights earned a hard-fought road series sweep of the Jayhawks in Lawrence to punctuate the 2025 regular season, during which the Black and Gold outscored Kansas 20-10 across the three games.

Redshirt freshman Isabella Vega spun her first career no-hitter in the series-opener, and UCF followed with a pair of dramatic late-inning comeback victories to claim games two and three.

The team’s effort pushed its record against the Jayhawks to 7-3 in 10 all-time matchups, including a 5-1 advantage as Big 12 Conference opponents since the start of 2024.

May 1-3: at Iowa State – Ames, Iowa

For the second time in three years, UCF will conclude its Big 12 Conference slate in Ames, Iowa, against the Iowa State Cyclones.

UCF took two out of three against Iowa State to conclude the 2024 regular season, and in 2025 enjoyed a dominant weekend in the circle that saw Knights pitchers allow just six runs in three games.

The Black and Gold this spring will look to build upon a narrow 6-5 lead over Iowa State in the all-time series.

ABOUT UCF ATHLETICS

UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.