NEW YORK – The bracket for the 2022 BIG EAST Softball Championship Presented by Jeep has been finalized after regular season play concluded on Sunday. No. 1 seed UConn will face No. 4 seed DePaul in the opening game on Thursday, May 12 at Noon ET/11 a.m. local. The second first round matchup features No. 2 seed Butler against No. 3 seed Villanova at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. local. The first elimination game will take place Thursday night at 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. local.
The double-elimination championship will take place at Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Ill. from May 12-14. The winner of the conference tournament receives the league's automatic bid into the 2022 NCAA Softball Championship.
All three games on Thursday can be seen on the BIG EAST Digital Network Presented by SoFi on FloSports. The semifinal and championship games will be available on FS2.
UConn (36-16, 20-4) clinched the regular season title in dramatic fashion with a walk-off single to defeat Villanova on Friday. The title is the Huskies' first BIG EAST regular season title since 1997. Last year, UConn advanced to the championship as the No. 3 seed but were eliminated after a pair of losses to Villanova. The Huskies' trip to the championship last season was its 11th all-time, having won the title seven of those times. UConn is in search of its first BIG EAST softball tournament title since 2001.
Butler (31-15, 16-6) is making its second straight appearance in the BIG EAST Softball Championship and its fourth trip overall. The Bulldogs' first appearance in the field went well, as they won the title as the No. 4 seed back in 2016. Last season, again as the No. 4 seed, Butler knocked off top-seeded DePaul in the opening game of the tournament. This season, Butler closed the conference schedule strong, winning seven of its last eight BIG EAST contests.
Villanova (29-22, 16-7) took home its first BIG EAST title in program history last season, needing two wins over UConn on Championship Saturday to hoist the trophy. The Wildcats are making their seventh consecutive trip to the BIG EAST Softball Championship and have reached the championship each of the last two tournaments. Villanova avoided dropping to the No. 4 seed by salvaging the final game of its weekend series with UConn on Sunday.
DePaul (28-22, 16-8) has become a mainstay in the BIG EAST Softball Championship, qualifying for the 16th consecutive season. The Blue Demons were the No. 1 seed in last year's tournament but were sent home on day one after losses to Butler and Villanova. DePaul has won five BIG EAST titles, including its most recent stretch of three-straight titles from 2017-2019. During DePaul's run of consecutive trips to the tournament, they have failed to win at least one game only three times (2015, 2016, 2021).
Follow this link to purchase tickets for the 2022 BIG EAST Softball Championship presented by Jeep.
2022 BIG EAST Softball Championship Presented by JEEP
Parkway Bank Sports Complex – Rosemont, Ill.
DAY 1 – THURSDAY, MAY 12:
Game 1: No. 1 UConn vs. No. 4 DePaul, Noon – BEDN
Game 2: No. 2 Butler vs. No. 3 Villanova, 3 p.m. – BEDN
Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, 6 p.m. – BEDN
DAY 2 – FRIDAY, MAY 13:
Game 4: Winners of Game 1 and Game 2, Noon – FS2
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4, 3 p.m. – FS2
Day 3 – SATURDAY, May 14:
Game 6: Winners of Game 4 and Game 5, Noon – FS2
Game 7 (if necessary): If Winner of Game 5 wins Game 6, 2:30 p.m. – FS2
All times Eastern
