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Top 3 Finalists revealed for 2025 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year

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OKLAHOMA CITY — USA Softball has announced the Top 3 Finalists for the 2025 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. The award is considered the most prestigious honor in college softball and recognizes outstanding athletic achievement among Division I softball players across the country.

Previous winners of the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year include Stacey Nuveman (UCLA – 2002), Cat Osterman (Texas – 2003, 2005, 2006), Jessica Van der Linden (Florida State – 2004), Monica Abbott (Tennessee – 2007), Angela Tincher (Virginia Tech – 2008), Danielle Lawrie (Washington – 2009, 2010), Ashley Hansen (Stanford – 2011), Keilani Ricketts (Oklahoma – 2012, 2013), Lacey Waldrop (Florida State – 2014), Lauren Haeger (Florida – 2015), Sierra Romero (Michigan – 2016), Kelly Barnhill (Florida – 2017), Rachel Garcia (UCLA – 2018, 2019), Jocelyn Alo (Oklahoma – 2021, 2022), Valerie Cagle (2023) and most recently, NiJaree Canady (2024).

Click here to view the Top 3 Finalists »

Represented by two juniors and one senior from three NCAA Division I universities and three athletic conferences, the Top 3 Finalists for the 2025 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year include Nebraska’s Jordy Bahl, Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady and Arkansas’s Bri Ellis — each of which will take the stage at Super Regionals this weekend.

Jordy Bahl – Nebraska

Nebraska’s Jordy Bahl stands out as one of the top two-way players in NCAA Division I softball, proving dominant in both pitching and hitting. She ranks among the Top 10 nationally in eight key categories: batting average (.458), slugging percentage (.955), total bases (148), earned run average (ERA) (1.57), shutouts (7), strikeouts (254), strikeouts per seven innings (10.2) and wins (23). For her outstanding performance, Bahl has been recognized as both the Big Ten Pitcher and Player of the Year, in addition to earning four Big Ten Pitcher of the Week selections during the 2025 season.

NiJaree Canady – Texas Tech

Two-time Big 12 Pitcher of the Week and 2025 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, NiJaree Canady, has made a powerful impact as a two-way player in her inaugural season with the Big 12 Conference. In the circle, she dominates with a nation-leading 0.81 ERA and 3.44 hits allowed per seven innings. Her performance places her in the Top 10 nationally for several key metrics, including wins (2nd – 26), strikeouts (4th – 263 K) and strikeouts per seven innings (6th – 10.2). At the plate, Canady ranks among the Top 10 in the Big 12 Conference for slugging percentage (7th – .667 SLG) and OPS (8th – 1.124 OPS), while also leading the conference in ERA (0.81), opponent batting average (.144), wins (26) and earned runs allowed (21). Canady is the most recent recipient of the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, winning it in 2024 while at Stanford University.

Bri Ellis – Arkansas

As the 2025 SEC Player of the Year, Bri Ellis from Arkansas is dominating the competition, leading the nation with a 1.189 slugging percentage and a .649 on-base percentage, while ranking second in the nation with 26 home runs. A true force at the plate, Ellis also stands on the NCAA leaderboard in batting average (4th – .475 BA), home runs per game (2nd – .50 PG), RBIs (7th – 72 RBI) and RBIs per game (5th – 1.38 PG). Among her SEC rivals, she claims the top spot in batting average (.475), slugging percentage (1.189), on-base percentage (.649), home runs (26), total bases (145) and walks (58). At Arkansas, Ellis has shattered single-season records in RBIs and home runs and is on track to set new program benchmarks in batting average and on-base percentage.

The 2025 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be announced on May 27 at the athlete banquet prior to the NCAA Women’s College World Series (WCWS) set to take place at the Softball Capital of the World® May 29 – June 6.

Paired with the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, USA Softball is also in its 23rd season of presenting the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll, which is released every Tuesday throughout the regular season with one final poll being released at the conclusion of the 2025 WCWS. Follow along with Division I NCAA Softball all season long at USASoftball.com.

St. John’s Softball Commit Defies Odds as Legally Blind Pitcher

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Maren Angus-Coombs  | Sports Illustrated

A legally blind softball standout has committed to St. John’s, refusing to let her eye disease stand in the way of her Division I dreams and inspiring others with her resilience.

There is nothing ordinary about Jenica Matos.

Standing at about 5-foot-6, the junior pitcher for Cheshire High School in Connecticut carries herself like a true ace.

Except, she doesn’t see where the ball is going after she releases it.

Matos is visually impaired. She has a rare genetic disorder called Stargardt disease, which causes central vision loss.

“I would have never known,” Cheshire coach Kristine Drust said. “I don’t think anybody would ever know. She pitches with dominance and confidence, just complete control out there. You would never know she’s dealing with adversity every pitch. She’s an absolute gamer.

“Some people might think it’s something that holds her back; I actually think it might propel her forward.”

Matos received her diagnosis at 10 years old, and her vision worsened over time, but over the past couple of years, “it’s kind of stayed the same.”

As she has gotten older, minor adjustments must be made on the field for her to be at her best. She needs her catcher to wear a chest protector and glove in contrasting colors. For high school ball, her coach wears black clothing and neon gloves to give signals. When she plays club ball for the Empire State Huskies, she uses PitchComm.

Matos doesn’t know if she will completely lose her vision or not but the one thing about her future she can control is where she plays collegiately.

On Nov. 3, 2024, Matos announced her commitment to play at St. John’s. While she hadn’t talked about her vision impairment publicly, the coaches knew about it and were willing to give her whatever support she needed.

For now, Matos will continue keep opponents off-balance. On Monday, she pitched an 11-inning complete-game, striking out 25 and allowing only two hits.

Matos doesn’t want anyone to feel sorry for her because she has this disease. She wants to be respected as one of the best pitchers in the state, and maybe the country. She is determined to “get the Gatorade Player of the Year award.”

“Even though I have an eye disease, it doesn’t really shape who I am as a player and a person,” Matos said. “It’s my talent and how hard I work. I don’t get anything given to me because I have an eye disease. I actually work for it, and I love doing what I do, even if it’s hard most of the time.” 

Stanford Breaks NCAA Softball Attendance Record with ‘Big Swing’

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Dee Lab | Just Womens Sports

Stanford shattered the NCAA softball attendance record this weekend, welcoming 13,207 fans inside the university’s football stadium for Saturday’s “Big Swing”  game against Cal.

In the most-attended non-football contest in Stanford Athletics’ history, the Cardinal softball crowd surpassed the sport’s previous attendance record of 12,566, set on the first day of the 2024 Women’s College World Series (WCWS) in Oklahoma City.

The history-making game also blew past the NCAA softball regular-season record of 9,259 fans, a feat reached less than two weeks ago when reigning champions Oklahoma defeated local rivals Oklahoma State on April 9th.

“It was kind of like a mini College World Series experience,” Stanford junior outfielder Kyra Chan said after the game.

Despite dropping the record-breaking matchup 10-8 to their new ACC rivals, No. 16 Stanford ultimately secured the three-game series against the Golden Bears with wins on Thursday and Friday.

Friday’s 9-3 victory was particularly impactful, clinching the Cardinal a spot in their first-ever ACC championship tournament next month — the first postseason stop as Stanford hunts a third-straight appearance in the WCWS semifinals.

Nebraska volleyball lines up on the court for the August 2023 Volleyball Day in the university's football stadium.
Nebraska volleyball broke the overall US women’s sports attendance record in 2023. (Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)

Stanford softball fuels argument for larger women’s sports venues

Softball isn’t the only sport leading the recent surge in record-breaking NCAA women’s sports crowds.

After shifting a volleyball match into its football stadium in August 2023, Nebraska welcomed not just the sport’s biggest crowd, but the largest to ever attend any women’s sporting event in the US.

Shortly thereafter, Iowa’s “Crossover at Kinnick” blasted through the NCAA women’s basketball attendance mark by moving an exhibition game featuring the Caitlin Clark-led Hawkeyes into the university’s football venue.

Though the move to massive football stadiums was intentional to snag both Nebraska’s and Iowa’s respective records, Stanford’s venue shift was not initially an attendance-hunting move.

The Cardinal’s entire 2025 softball season is being played on the gridiron as the team’s new $50 million stadium and state-of-the-art training facility is under construction.

Taking advantage of that added capacity was a no-brainer, with Stanford specifically branding and marketing their rivalry “Big Swing” game to capitalize on their temporary digs — and to continue making the overall case for expanding women’s sports’ venues.

“I think that you see a consistent theme that there aren’t big enough venues for women’s sports to be able to draw the fans that they can draw,” Stanford softball head coach Jessica Allister pointed out.

“Hopefully, a lot of people who showed up to Stanford for the first time to watch a softball game will come back and see us in our beautiful stadium.”

Ex-Marlins GM excited to bring MLB experience to women’s softball league

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By Erin Achenbach | ClutchPoints

Former Miami Marlins general manager Kim Ng has been named the first commissioner of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, the league announced Wednesday, marking another milestone in her trailblazing career and an important moment in the growth of professional women’s sports.

Ng, who served as the Marlins’ GM from 2020 to 2023, brings more than 30 years of experience in Major League Baseball to the role. A longtime advocate for women’s sports, she called the opportunity both personal and historic.

“I love this sport,” Ng said, as reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN. “From middle school on, I played softball, played in college … it’s been a big part of our lives. When you talk about this, I think it’s part of a movement.”

The AUSL is preparing for its inaugural tour-based season, a 24-game summer slate across 10 cities beginning June 7. The tour includes stops in Rosemont, Illinois, and Wichita, Kansas — where the most games will be held — and will conclude with a championship series in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The league intends to transition to six permanent teams in 2025.

Ng previously advised AUSL before accepting the full-time role. She said that her MLB background helped prepare her to lead a league, not just manage a team.

“When I hear the word commissioner, it just means leadership,” she said. “And I think being at Major League Baseball really helped me to understand the commissioner’s office and the services that they provide. It’s not just to understand what the clubs need, but you have to lead as well.”

AUSL’s structure is unique, with the entire league owned by one group and an emphasis on player input. Ng said there is a focus on stability before growth and the league is aiming to use social media and college outreach — like the upcoming “AUSL College Draft Show” on ESPNU — to boost its visibility.

Jon Patricof, Athletes Unlimited co-founder, credited Ng with unifying college and professional circles.

“Kim sets the bar … She has helped bring (key figures) into the league and into the sport. That’s a major differentiator.”

Four NCAA softball players made history at the NCAA Super Regionals

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The Gist

Superstars dominated the storylines at the long weekend’s Super Regionals.

The GIST: ICYMI, superstars dominated the storylines at the long weekend’s Super Regionals. National awards, NCAA records, and Women’s College World Series (WCWS) berths — oh my!

The accolades: Last night, USA Softball named No. 8–seed Stanford pitcher NiJaree Canady the Player of the Year. The sophomore leads the nation’s pitchers in earned run average by an unbelievably wide margin and will continue to tear up the circle as her Cardinal goes to work in the WCWS.

  • Joining Canady in the spotlight is infielder Jaysoni Beachum, who unanimously bagged Freshman of the Year last night. Although her heroics at the plate weren’t enough to help No. 15 Florida State reach the WCWS, the future’s bright in Tallahassee.

The records: Two players made Division I (DI) history over the long weekend. First, No. 4–seed Florida utility player Skylar Wallace set the career runs record when she crossed the plate for the 303rd time in Friday’s Game 1 win over Baylor. She’s a runner, she’s a track star.

  • Next, No. 7 Missouri pitcher Taylor Pannell is walking away a winner despite her squad’s season-ending loss to No. 10 Duke — her 15th save on Saturday tied the DI single-season record.
  • As for DI team records, No. 2 Oklahoma extended one of their own on Friday when the Sooners beat aforementioned Florida State 4–2 to advance to the WCWS, marking their 18th (!!!) straight NCAA Tournament win. Doesn’t get more dominant than that.

Softball and baseball on same day! Woman makes NCAA history

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Melanie Martinez-Lopez | MLB

Jillian Albayati continues to be a pioneer for women in the game of baseball.

On Sunday, she became the second player in collegiate history — and the first in Division II — to play baseball and softball on the same day when she accomplished the feat for Cal State San Marcos.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Cal State San Marcos baseball team was down four pitchers, including three starters, and were considering open tryouts in the middle of chasing the California Collegiate Athletic Association title.

Softball coach Stef Ewing immediately thought of Albayati, a right-handed pitcher for baseball and a third baseman for softball.

The move made sense, given Albayati began to play baseball when she was 3 years old — and she played throughout high school. The All-CIF pitcher from Anaheim went 20-0 with a 1.68 ERA in her high-school career, all while hitting .360.

“I piped up and said, ‘We’ve got Jill on our team, and she played high school baseball,’” Ewing told San Diego Union-Tribune reporter Kirk Kenney. “She pitches and plays third base for the U.S. Women’s National Baseball Team. She can throw.’”

It was not the first time Albayati made a mark on women’s baseball.

She was selected to play in the inaugural Trailblazer Series. It was created in 2017 to provide girls with an opportunity to play baseball with other girls in a highly competitive environment.

The following year, Albayati participated in the 2018 Girls Baseball Breakthrough Series, a program that focuses on developing girls who play baseball.

Now, she has once again made her mark nearly seven years later — this time, just days before the 2024 Trailblazer Series gets underway on Saturday.

When Albayati was offered the opportunity to pitch in a baseball game Sunday for Cal State San Marcos — a first for Division II sports (Christina Elsbury did it last year for Division III Gallaude) — there was no hesitation. According to the Union-Tribune, she threw a bullpen session on Friday to showcase her skills, and soon after, Albayati was added to the roster.

“We’re in a place where we’re pretty banged up on the mound,” Cougars baseball manager Jose Garcia told the newspaper. “It’s not asking her to come in and pitch in high-leverage situations. It’s more to give us a cushion, to eat some innings and help keep everybody as healthy as possible.”

Albayati’s complete game

When Sunday came around, the 5-foot-6 Albayati was ready to pitch in.

First came the softball game against Cal State Monterey Bay. After celebrating her teammate’s walk-off grand slam in a dramatic 4-3 win, the sophomore switched out of her softball jersey and sprinted over to the nearby baseball field. She was called in from the bullpen two batters into the ninth inning.

Albayati was not intimidated by the seven batters she faced. She allowed two runs (one earned) off three hits and one walk to close out the inning.

She then returned to the softball field after her collegiate baseball debut for the second game of a doubleheader. She went 2-for-6 in the softball team’s 4-2 victory to help the club complete the sweep — before once again returning to the baseball dugout to end her day.

“It’s just amazing,” Albayati said to Kenney. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be able to do that.”

Albayati hopes to be able to continue playing both sports, but she told Ewing her priority is softball.

“But I know her love is baseball,” Ewing said. “I thought we made a kid’s career in more ways than you can imagine by having her go out there. … We made her dream come true today.”

With both teams on the road an hour away for the next series, there is a chance she may travel with the baseball team while the injured pitchers continue to recover.

The newspaper also reported that Albayati was invited to pitch for the Savannah Bananas over the summer.

6 storylines to note ahead of the 2024 college softball season

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KAITLYN SCHMIDT | NCAA

Opening day for college softball is Thursday, Feb. 8 — here are the hottest topics to gear your attention towards this season. 

Jordy Bahl’s impact on Nebraska

The Papillion, Nebraska, native has taken the 450-mile trip north to the Cornhusker State to pitch her junior season close to home. The Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 tournament announced her departure from Oklahoma in mid-June of last year, not even two days after the Sooners held a campus-wide celebration for their most recent title. Jordy Bahl amassed a 44-2 record over 288.2 IP with a 1.00 ERA and 397 strikeouts as led the Sooners to consecutive national championships in her first two seasons there. 

In Lincoln, Bahl will join forces with Sarah Harness and Kaylin Kinney in the circle, as well as play alongside superstar shortstop Billie Andrews and utility transfer Peyton Cody. As the lone Big Ten player on the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year preseason watchlist, Bahl is projected to make a tumultuous ripple in the Nebraska softball legacy. She’ll likely be at the plate and playing more defense at Nebraska, and thus, the best of Bahl may still be yet to come.

Texas returns its core

The depth of Texas’ roster cannot be understated. The Longhorns return every core position player except outfielder Alyssa Popelka and 1B/flex player Courtney Day, who transferred to Washington and Ole Miss, respectively. Along with taking on Notre Dame transfer Joley Mitchell (IF), the Longhorns have a highly-touted recruited class to subsidize their already-talented depth chart.

Texas softball

First-year outfielder Kayden Henry will be joining Ashton Maloney and Bella Dayton on the green this season. Notching a .655 batting average in 2022, Henry was named No. 3 overall in Perfect Game’s Top 50 Class of 2023 recruit rankings and No. 5 (tie) in Extra Inning Softball’s 2023 Extra Elite 100. Henry’s speed and savvy base running skills — her most recent season saw 28 hits, 21 runs and 31 stolen bases — will make an early impact on the Texas lineup.

Standing at 6’0″, freshman Teagan Kavan will be a force in the circle, notching 1,444 strikeouts over 772.2 IP and six no-hitters in her previous club career. Along with this addition, Texas’ bullpen is already saturated with talented arms in Estelle Czech, Mac Morgan, Citlaly Gutierrez and Sophia Simpson.

Just two years prior, the Longhorns posted their best post-season finish in the WCWS Championship Series as the 2022 runner-up. Last year, a 9-0 shutout loss in the Knoxville regional booted the Longhorns from last year’s tournament. Thus, this is a team fully capable of making a deep run this season, and with a reliable roster, Texas has major potential this year to make it to OKC.

Can the Pac-12 ride its momentum from 2023?

In its last few months of existence, Pac-12 softball has the opportunity to make a statement in its leave. The conference boasts five teams in the USA Softball preseason poll: No. 3 Stanford, No. 8 UCLA, No. 10 Washington, No. 13 Oregon and No. 16 Utah. 

Though it got double-eliminated by Oklahoma in the WCWS, Stanford posted an otherwise stellar postseason run. Despite the loss of pitcher Alana Vawter, the Cardinal will have NiJaree Canady returning as ace after a breakout freshman season. Canady finished with a 17-3 record with seven shutouts, becoming the fifth player in Stanford history to record 200 strikeouts in a single season (218).

Host of the Los Angeles regional in last year’s tournament, 2-seeded UCLA was shockingly eliminated by GCU and Liberty after a 52-7 season. Returning to the diamond with a refreshed pitching staff and reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year Maya Brady (SS), the Bruins are hungrier than ever to return to their former glory — their most recent championship win was in 2019.

Utah made it to the WCWS last season for the first time since 1994, and their 2023 win percentage (.724) was the highest the Utes have posted in nearly 30 years. As for Washington, it’s coming off a 74.6 win percentage year, only dropping three games in Husky Stadium. So, we’ll see how things will shake out during the final year of Pac-12 play.

Arkansas’ highly-touted transfer class

Head coach Courtney Deifel fortified her batting lineup with quite the transfer class, earning an added 7.9 wWAA (Weighted Wins Above Average) according to D1Softball. Nia Carter from Iowa and Bri Ellis from Auburn are the headlining additions, as well as Morgan Leinstock (Southern Miss) and Reis Beuerlein (Mississippi State) for the pitching staff.

Nia Carter, Arkanas Razorbacks softball transferNIA CARTER, ARKANAS RAZORBACKS SOFTBALL TRANSFER

A redshirt senior, Carter holds Iowa’s program record for career batting average at .415, and started all 62 games in right field last season. In 2023, she recorded hits in all but 10 of her games played, and recorded a career-high 30 RBIs. A seasoned player, Carter will add experience to the roster as well as versatility in the batting lineup. As for Ellis, she was one of two players for Auburn to start every game during her sophomore campaign and was named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2022. Clocking a .989 fielding percentage at first base and 14 homers last season, she’ll be a crucial add on both sides of the ball for the Tigers.

Reigning SEC Pitcher of the Year Chenise Delce will be assisted in the chalk by Leinstock and Beurelein, whose ERAs were 3.30 and 3.13 last season, respectively.

Alabama without ace Montana Fouts

Following the departure of All-American pitcher Montana Fouts, the Tide will have some soul-searching to do to perfect a pitching staff. A generational talent in Tuscaloosa, Fouts hurled 24 complete games in 2023 and led the nation with 323 strikeouts, notching a 7.88 K/BB ratio. Despite tearing her ACL in the SEC tournament last year, Fouts finished out her senior campaign in the national quarterfinals ranked second in program history in strikeouts (1,181) and third in shutouts (35).

Now faced with a dilemma in the circle, head coach Patrick Murphy will turn to his depth in sluggers to find a good rhythm. The Tide picked up two transfers in Kayla Beaver (Central Arkansas) and Alea Johnson (LSU), whose pitching resumes vary from toughness to versatility. Beaver ignited the most successful season in Central Arkansas’ history in 2023 by logging a 21-8 record with 20 complete games and three shutouts. Johnson earned a 7-1 record with the Tigers, tossing two complete games and a shutout.

The lone freshman pitcher is Jocelyn Briski, hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, and topping her high school’s all-time leaderboard in wins (54), strikeouts (1,009), ERA (0.54), shutouts (30), no-hitters (8) and perfect games (2). Senior Jaala Torrence and redshirt junior Alex Salter will also be in consideration for the starting role. But, as Murphy told D1 Softball in their fall report: “I think it’s going to be a mix and match thing and it’s going to be fun.”

Oklahoma’s historic championship run

There’s really no other way to say it: Oklahoma softball is on a dynastic run. Finishing their 2023 campaign with a stellar 61-1 record — with their only loss coming from a one-run decision against Baylor — the Sooners were dominant in every facet on the diamond. Here are the statistical categories that Oklahoma led the nation in, by the end of last year:

  • Batting average: .366
  • ERA: .96
  • Fielding percentage: .987
  • Home runs per game: 1.89
  • On-base percentage: .456
  • Scoring per game: 8.08 R/G
  • Shutouts: 35
  • Slugging percentage: .666

Oklahoma has won the past three national championships, going undefeated in the final series for their last two titles. No school has ever accomplished a four-peat in the history of the sport; UCLA was the only other program to get a three-peat from 1988-1990. Already on a 53-game unbeaten streak, the Sooners are equipped with a loaded transfer class and returners hungry for their last shot at a perfect season; 2024 presents another chance for OU to make history.

IOC Session approves LA28’s proposal for five additional sports

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By: International Olympic Committee

Baseball/softball, cricket (T20), flag football, lacrosse (sixes) and squash have been officially included as additional sports on the programme for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 (LA28). The decision has been taken by the 141st Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The five sports were proposed by the LA28 Organising Committee as a package for their edition of the Games only, and were reviewed and supported by the IOC’s Olympic Programme Commission (OPC) and Executive Board (EB).

For baseball and softball, cricket and lacrosse it will be a return to the Olympic Games, while flag football and squash will be making their Olympic debut in LA.

  • Baseball and softball have been part of the programme at several editions of the Olympic Games, most recently at Tokyo 2020.
  • Cricket was on the programme for the Olympic Games Paris 1900.
  • Lacrosse was included on the programme at St Louis 1904 and London 1908.
  • Flag football and squash will make their Olympic debut at LA28.

“The choice of these five new sports is in line with the American sports culture and will showcase iconic American sports to the world, while bringing international sports to the United States. These sports will make the Olympic Games LA28 unique,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “Their inclusion will allow the Olympic Movement to engage with new athlete and fan communities in the US and globally.”

“I have long believed that we have an incredible opportunity in Los Angeles to create the most compelling Games, not just for us, but for the world. Our Olympic sport programme, in its entirety, reflects this belief,” said LA28 Chairperson Casey Wasserman. “We are excited to embark on game-changing collaborations with major professional leagues that will unlock massive opportunities to amplify the Olympic and Paralympic story and captivate new audiences.” 

This selection of sports is the result of a thorough process and analysis based on evaluation criteria set out before the process began, including gender equality. It considered the utilisation of existing facilities, involving a wide range of sports communities both in the United States and globally, and incorporating some of the most popular sports in the United States and across the globe.

Modern pentathlon and weightlifting

The IOC Session also supported the recommendations made by the IOC EB concerning the status of modern pentathlon and weightlifting, which were not part of the initial sports programme for LA28.

  • Modern pentathlon: The IOC Session endorsed the recommendation from the IOC EB to include modern pentathlon on the LA28 sports programme, acknowledging the replacement of horse riding with obstacle racing and the optimisation work conducted by the International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM) to reduce costs and complexity. As noted by the IOC EB, it is essential for the UIPM to continue to implement the necessary changes in governance and modernise as an organisation. Without the replacement of horse riding with obstacle racing, the sport would not have been included in the programme.
  • Weightlifting: The IOC Session accepted the IOC EB’s recommendation to include weightlifting on the LA28 sports programme following the decision of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) to delegate its anti-doping management to the International Testing Agency (ITA), and its sanctioning to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) at least until the end of 2028. The effectiveness of the anti-doping programmes for the Paris 2024 Olympic qualification and Olympic competition will continue to be closely monitored by the IOC, as will the implementation of the governance and cultural changes adopted by the IWF.

Following the IOC Session decision to withdraw recognition of the International Boxing Association (IBA), the IOC has not recognised another governing body for Olympic boxing. Therefore, the IOC EB decided that any decision regarding the inclusion of boxing on the LA28 sports programme is put on hold, so there was no discussion of this by the IOC Session.

The other 28 sports that are part of the LA28 Olympic programme were approved by the IOC Session in February 2022.

The discipline programme was approved by the IOC EB on 13 October 2023, while the programme of events and athlete quotas will be finalised after Paris 2024. The OPC will now work on ensuring that the final athlete quota numbers for the Olympic Games LA28 remain reasonable and below the overall quota for Tokyo 2020.

2028 Olympics Expected to Include Softball

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D1Softball Staff

Softball was shut out the first two times the Summer Olympics came to Los Angeles. It appears the sport won’t miss out when the Games return to the city in 2028. 

Softball is among five sports that local organizers have proposed for inclusion in 2028 program, along with the event’s regular program. LA28, the local organizing body, proposed softball, baseball, cricket, flag football and squash for inclusion. Although expected to be a formality, the additions aren’t official until approved by the International Olympic Committee in a vote on Oct. 16 in Mumbai.

No details were included on the intended format or facilities. In Tokyo, the tournament consisted of six teams, down from eight teams in each of the sport’s previous four Olympics tournaments. As in previous editions, rosters were limited to 15 athletes. 

As part of Olympic reforms and retooling over the past decade, organizing committees have the ability to propose sports for inclusion on a one-time basis, often to appeal to local audiences or specific demographics. Inclusion in 2028 would not guarantee that softball will be part of the 2032 program in Brisbane, Australia.

First included in the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996, softball was part of the program through the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Dropped, along with baseball, following Beijing, the sport returned in 2021 as part of the delayed Tokyo Olympics—again as a sport included by local organizers, rather than the IOC’s regular slate of sports. 

In Los Angeles, the United States will hope to snap a 24-year gold medal drought. Japan defeated the U.S. for gold in both 2008 and 2021. 

Olympics aside, the United States is the three-time reigning world champion, having won the WBSC World Cup (formerly World Championship) in 2016, 2018 and 2022. Among members of the U.S. team coached by Heather Tarr that won the 2022 world title in Birmingham, Ala., Ally Carda would be 35 in 2028—the oldest among players who took the field in the gold medal game and have not retired. 

The 28 sports already part of the 2028 program are: Aquatics, Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Canoe, Cycling, Equestrian, Fencing, Field hockey, Golf, Gymnastics, Handball, Judo, Rowing, Rugby, Sailing, Shooting, Skateboarding, Soccer, Sport Climbing, Surfing, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball (beach and indoor) and Wrestling.

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