Arizona to host UCLA, Michigan and Duke at 2027 Candrea Classic
The Tucson softball tournament is scheduled to begin February 12, with a field whose programs have won a combined 21 NCAA national titles.
Arizona announced on October 20 that UCLA, Michigan and Duke will join the Wildcats at the 2027 Candrea Classic in Tucson, with play scheduled to begin February 12, according to Kim Doss of Arizona Desert Swarm. The four softball programs have won a combined 21 NCAA national titles, Doss reported.
The field also has 13 national runner-up finishes and 62 Women's College World Series appearances between them, with Arizona and UCLA accounting for most of those totals. UCLA made its 34th official World Series appearance in 2026, giving the Tucson event a visiting team with recent experience on college softball's biggest stage.
How the 2027 Candrea Classic field came together
The four teams had initially been expected to join a fifth team at a neutral-site tournament in San Antonio, Doss reported. After that event fell through, four of the five opted to play in Tucson. Arizona Athletics' official 2026 schedule places the previous Candrea Classic at Hillenbrand Stadium in Tucson, where games ran from February 5 through February 8.
The NCAA Division I softball season is scheduled to start February 5, 2027, a week before the Candrea Classic begins. Arizona's remaining nonconference schedule is due to be announced later, according to Doss.
Arizona and Duke after the 2026 Durham regional
Arizona finished 2026 with a 37-18 record. At the Durham regional, the Wildcats beat Marshall and Duke in their first two games but lost twice to Duke on the final day, 8-6 and 9-4, ending their season. The Blue Devils advanced to their fourth super regional before Arkansas eliminated them, Doss reported.
UCLA reached the 2026 Women's College World Series, losing its opener to Alabama, beating Arkansas and then losing an elimination game to eventual runner-up Texas Tech. Michigan reached the Norman regional final, where host Oklahoma beat it 8-1. Those results put all three visiting programs at least in a regional final last season as they prepare to join Arizona's February tournament.
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Sources and context
- Arizona’s Candrea Classic to host softball giants in FebruaryArizona Desert Swarm / SB Nation (Kim Doss); Yahoo Sports page
- 2026 Softball ScheduleUniversity of Arizona Athletics
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.