The clock ticks ever closer to Northwestern softball season, one that will be played under new lights this year as NU temporarily relocates to The Ballpark at Rosemont. Despite the change in scenery, the mission remains the same: make the NCAA tournament for the eighth straight season, and continue to make consistent prowess the defining aspect of Kate Drohan’s tenure at Northwestern.
Alongside the stadium change announcement, another major piece of news dropped this past week — Northwestern’s 2026 softball schedule. Being a formidable program means facing off against the best in the sport, as the ‘Cats are slated to play 11 teams that made the tournament last year, including six teams that finished in the Top 25. It won’t be easy, but playing high-level competition should only make the Wildcats even better as the season progresses. Let’s unpack what’s on the docket in 2026.
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Non-Conference Games
Unlike many other sports, Northwestern softball’s conference slate tends to be more difficult than Big Ten play. The opponents vary in strength, from below-average teams to top-five teams in the country. Nevertheless, opening the season with opportunities to see how the ‘Cats fare against different kinds of competition is undoubtedly beneficial, as it gears the team up for conference play and can significantly impact their tournament chances and seeding.
The Wildcats kick off their season at the Kajikawa Classic, where they’ll play two games against Texas State and have single-game matchups against Toledo, Memphis and the hosts, Arizona State. All four teams pose different threat levels, but how the ‘Cats fare against Texas State will be interesting to watch, since both teams finished with similar records last season (the Wildcats went 30-20-1, the Bobcats went 34-19). That’ll serve as a good early-season test for Northwestern.
Up next, the ‘Cats have the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational, headlined by battles against two teams from the Lone Star State: Texas A&M and Texas Tech. The former was the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 overall seed last year, while the latter was the 2025 national runner-up. If Northwestern wants to test itself against the nation’s highest class, this Invitational is among the best chances to. Early last season, Northwestern picked up a huge 4-1 win over No. 8 Duke, proving it is capable of pulling off upsets in difficult non-conference games.
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Non-conference play continues with the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where NU will face Arkansas and Southeast Missouri State in double-headers. Both are solid programs that finished with .500 records last year, and the ‘Cats will need to bring extra energy playing two games in one day. Northwestern rounds out its non-conference slate with a trip to Durham, North Carolina, to take on Duke and Boston University, two fantastic teams with 2025 records mirroring that of Northwestern last year.
A scattering of non-conference games will continue throughout the season, including a four-game road trip to Northern Kentucky and matchups against DePaul, Notre Dame and Northern Illinois — three programs that struggled mightily last season and should be easy victories for Northwestern.
Conference Games
Northwestern finished fourth in the conference last season with a 16-6 record, catapulting itself to the status of a top dog in the Big Ten. There’s no doubt the ‘Cats plan on being at or near the top of the standings again this year, especially considering NU is returning its top eight hitters from last year’s lineup paired with a strong class of newcomers.
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Big Ten play will begin with a journey to the Pacific Northwest, one the ‘Cats haven’t taken since 2018, for a three-game series at Washington. Northwestern’s success last season can be largely attributed to the team’s 10-3 road record, and the ‘Cats will be hoping to replicate that prowess away from Rosemont in 2026. UW finished 12-9 in 2025, meaning this series will clearly favor NU but is unlikely to be lopsided. The road trip continues with a series against arch rivals Illinois, whom the ‘Cats took 2 of 3 games from last year. The Fighting Illini play host this year, and while they’ll look to improve from a 6-15 record, the ‘Cats hope to take advantage of it.
Northwestern will then return to its new home at The Ballpark for two more daunting slates against Oregon and Michigan. The Ducks are riding a first-place conference finish with a 19-3 Big Ten record, and should present an exciting challenge for NU, which hasn’t faced Oregon since 2023. The schedule doesn’t get any easier when the Ducks leave and the Wolverines enter, as Michigan accomplished arguably an even more impressive feat last year — winning the 2025 Big Ten Tournament despite finishing four spots below the ‘Cats in the final standings. Both of these weekend series will be tough and necessary challenges for Northwestern to ensure it remains a team that can compete with anyone in the nation. What better way to start the Rosemont era than by stomping two juggernaut conference rivals?
The good news: after those games, the hard part of NU’s schedule is over. The ‘Cats will hit the road again to play Penn State, another middle-of-the-pack team that Northwestern pummeled last year, winning two games by a combined score of 23-9. Waiting upon return to The Ballpark is Michigan State, whom the ‘Cats also faced immediately following the Nittany Lions in 2025, and crushed. A repeat of 2025 would be most ideal, particularly in this stretch of the season where the sense of urgency to pick up wins for tournament bids becomes more prominent.
Next up is an opportunity for sweet revenge, as NU faces Purdue — the team that knocked the ‘Cats out of the Big Ten Tournament last year by a score of 4-2. NU will wrap up its regular season at The Rosemont against Minnesota, which is also looking for a major turnaround after going 5-17 last year. The 2026 Big Ten Tournament is scheduled to be held from May 6-9 in College Park, Maryland.
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As expected, NU’s schedule fluctuates and has varying moments of difficulty. Improving the team’s home record would be the ultimate measure of improvement, as is consistently winning games across different levels of competition. If it can succeed those areas, there’s no telling what Drohan’s squad can accomplish in 2026.
