NJCAA Board of Regents approves new baseball, softball postseason models

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The NJCAA Board of Regents approved new postseason models for NJCAA Division I and Division II baseball and softball during the April 2026 NJCAA Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.

The approved championship alignment, which is scheduled to take effect August 1, 2027, will introduce a Super Regional round beginning with the Spring 2028 postseason. The updated format will expand postseason participation to 32 teams per sport and division, with teams advancing from regional competition to Super Regionals and ultimately to the NJCAA World Series.

"When this idea was presented to Mike (Saddler) and Ron (Riggle) last spring, both jumped at the thought of creating an opportunity that we've not seen in the history of the NJCAA with our post season model," Dr. Brett Monaghan, Vice President, Championships, Membership and Sports Governance, said. "With direction from the Championships and Alignment Committee, we added in the Division I and II Softball Committee chairs, Katie Willingham and Chris Robinson, and got to work. While there is still much to be done, I'm excited to see what is to come in 2028."

Under the new model, each Super Regional field will include a set number of automatic qualifiers, with remaining teams selected through at-large criteria to complete the 32-team bracket. Teams will then be divided into eight, four-team brackets, with each champion advancing to their respective NJCAA World Series.

Site selection will be done by the appropriate sport committee with input from the Championships & Alignment Committee and NJCAA National Office. Super Regional sites will be placed geographically across the country, with no more than two sites awarded to one region.

"This is a truly exciting moment for NJCAA baseball and softball," Mike Saddler, NJCAA Division I Baseball and Championships & Alignment Chair, said. "Thanks to the dedication and collaboration of our sports chairs and committee members, we have a new format that closely aligns with other national collegiate organizations. This new format expands opportunities for student-athletes and programs to experience national tournament competition while strengthening and elevating each World Series. I'm grateful to have been part of this effort and look forward to seeing the results of our work come to life in the spring of 2028."

For baseball, each Super Regional champion will advance to an eight-team, double-elimination NJCAA World Series. The 2028 baseball postseason timeline includes a regional completion deadline of May 9, tournament qualifier notification on May 10, bracket reveal on May 11, Super Regionals from May 16-19 and the NJCAA World Series from May 27-June 3.

For softball, each Super Regional champion will advance to an eight-team NJCAA World Series featuring two, four-team pods, with each pod winner advancing to a best-of-three championship series. The 2028 softball postseason timeline includes a regional completion deadline of May 7, tournament qualifier notification on May 8, bracket reveal on May 9, Super Regionals from May 13-15, and the NJCAA World Series from May 23-27.

This model is a culmination of nearly a years' worth of collaboration within many of the Association's committees, coaches' association representatives, national office staff and other collegiate athletic associations working together to create a dynamic experience for student-athletes.

"It has been a privilege to collaborate with fellow committee chairs throughout the development process," Chris Robinson, NJCAA Division II Softball Chair, said. "We are confident this new format will create meaningful opportunities for growth and advancement within the sport, and we look forward to its positive impact on our coaches, administrators and all those connected to NJCAA Baseball and Softball."

The approved models also align sports poll criteria with the at-large selection criteria, creating greater consistency between national rankings, postseason selection and championship seeding considerations.

The revised postseason format was developed around several guiding principles, including improving the student-athlete postseason experience, aligning NJCAA championships with national best practices, ensuring equitable geographic and regional representation, maintaining responsible fiscal and logistical planning and providing predictable timelines for host institutions.

Additional details, including Super Regional host manuals, bid timelines, and updated sport code language, will be communicated to member colleges through NJCAA championship resources and sport manuals. More information can be found on the NJCAA.org meeting agenda webpage.

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About NJCAA 

Since 1938, the NJCAA has served as the premier governing body for two-year collegiate athletics, providing student-athletes with opportunities to prepare, compete, succeed, and achieve in both their academic and athletic disciplines. The NJCAA is the second largest national intercollegiate athletic organization in the United States, with over 500 member schools, 60,000 athletes and 3,400 teams competing in 28 different sports. Each year, the NJCAA sponsors 57 national championships and invitationals. 

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