Chattanooga has been selected to host the NCAA Division II softball national championship tournament in late May. The decision was announced Monday afternoon by the NCAA Softball Committee during a meeting in Indianapolis.
The tournament will be played May 25-31 at three area locations — Lee University, the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega and Warner Park’s Jim Frost Stadium.
“We are extremely excited to be chosen as the host and help define this experience by bringing the players and teams involved to a softball destination,” said Tim Morgan, Chief Sports Officer for Chattanooga Sports, a division of Chattanooga Tourism Company. “This continues the strategic initiative in hosting state championships and national championships.
“We’d like to thank our partners at Lee University and the University North Georgia for bringing their expertise in managing all event operations.”
Chattanooga was originally scheduled to host the event in the spring of 2020, but the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The field of 64 teams that will compete in the tournament was also announced on Monday, which includes the University of North Georgia (54-6), Carson-Newman (31-16), King College (35-22) — located in Bristol, Tennessee — and Alabama-Huntsville (44-9).
Four teams will participate at each of the 16 regional sites in double-elimination tournaments, held May 11-13. Winners will advance to super regionals, set for May 18-19, with the eight teams advancing out of those brackets competing in Chattanooga.
Frost Stadium recently underwent a playing surface upgrade with the installation of AstroTurf as well as refurbishing the dirt infield.
“The city has done a phenomenal job in making an investment into Frost Stadium and its playing field,” said Morgan, who noted the success of the BlueCross Bowl — Tennessee’s three-day state football championship event which has been played at Finley Stadium the past two seasons and will continue to be held in the Scenic City for at least another two years after the TSSAA awarded Chattanooga a contract extension in March.
“This is just another opportunity for the city to showcase what we can do as the host for an exciting event,” Morgan added.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com