NIL
WCC Announces Addition of Conference Tournaments for Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Softball, Beginning in 2026-27
Story Links SAN BRUNO, Calif. — As just announced by the West Coast Conference, the conference Presidents’ Council has approved the Executive Council’s proposals on championships for men’s soccer, women’s soccer and softball. Conference championships in these three sports will begin in the 2026-27 academic year. Men’s Soccer, Women’s Soccer and Softball […]

SAN BRUNO, Calif. — As just announced by the West Coast Conference, the conference Presidents’ Council has approved the Executive Council’s proposals on championships for men’s soccer, women’s soccer and softball. Conference championships in these three sports will begin in the 2026-27 academic year. Men’s Soccer, Women’s Soccer and Softball will now join the likes of Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Baseball, and Beach Volleyball with a head to head postseason conference tournament.
Each tournament will feature the top four finishing teams in the conference regular season. Both men’s and women’s soccer will play a single elimination semifinals with the winner of each semifinal playing the conference title match. Each round of the WCC Men’s and Women’s Soccer Tournament will be hosted by the highest seed. Softball will play in a four team double-elimination round robin tournament all at a single predetermined campus site. As is standard within a majority of Division I College Athletic Conference Tournaments, the conference tournament champion, and no longer the conference regular season champion for men’s and women’s soccer and Softball, will earn the automatic bid into the NCAA postseason.
“We are very excited at the announcement of these new postseason tournaments,” noted Saint Mary’s Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Mike Matoso, “So often, our student-athletes have demonstrated their ability to compete and be the best teams in the WCC, and now, they will have another opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and have an even greater chance at competing for National Titles.”
Most recently, Saint Mary’s Baseball won the 2025 West Coast Conference Baseball Tournament, despite finishing third in conference regular season play, earning their second ever berth to the NCAA Tournament. At the tournament, the Gaels were also able to notch their first ever postseason win, upsetting regional host and eighth nationally ranked Oregon State.
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