Kentucky softball one of a record 14 SEC teams selected for NCAA Tournament

The Kentucky softball team was selected for the NCAA Tournament for the 16th straight season under head coach Rachel Lawson.

The Wildcats, one of a record 14 Southeastern Conference squads chosen for the field, are an at-large team and will play in a regional hosted by Clemson, who earned the No. 11 national seed. Northwestern and USC Upstate are also headed to South Carolina for the four-team regional.

The Wildcats (29-25) enter the NCAA Tournament coming off an 8-0 loss to Georgia in the first round of the SEC Tournament.

Kentucky, the No. 2 seed in the region, will play third-seeded Northwestern at 2 p.m. EDT Friday. Clemson will play USC Upstate at approximately 4:30 p.m. EDT. Both games will air online on ESPN+.

The Wildcats being selected for 16 straight NCAA tournaments is something only 11 other schools have done in that time span. The others are Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA and Washington.

The only time a Lawson-led UK team hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament was her first season in Lexington in 2008.

All 14 SEC teams made the field, a record for the number of schools chosen from one conference. Texas A&M earned the No. 1 overall seed and nine SEC schools were selected as regional host sites, with seven seeded as top-eight seeds, meaning they can host super regionals should they advance through regionals.

2025 NCAA Clemson Regional

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Game 1 — (2) Kentucky vs. (3) Northwestern, 2 p.m. EDT (ESPN+)

Game 2 — (1) Clemson vs. (4) USC Upstate, 4:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN+)

SATURDAY’S GAMES

Game 3 — Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner

Game 4 — Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser (elimination game)

Game 5 — Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser (elimination game)

SUNDAY’S GAME(S)

Game 6 — Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner

Game 7 (if necessary) — Game 6 loser vs. Game 6 winner