The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union announced on Friday morning that the State Softball Tournament would be moving to a double elimination format, beginning with the 2026 State Tournament.
“Anyone that has watched the Softball College World Series knows how exciting the double-elimination format is,” said IGHSAU Executive Director Erin Gerlich. “We are thrilled to bring that excitement to the State Softball Tournament. This format will be exciting for both teams and fans, and we are grateful to the city of Fort Dodge for committing to enhancing Rogers’ Park to make a double-elimination tournament possible.”
Friday’s release states that the move to the double-elimination tournament is in conjunction with Fort Dodge’s multi-million-dollar investment to improvements at Harlan and Hazel Rogers Park, which includes 5 championship field, press box accommodations, additional parking areas and more.
The move to double-elimination format also aligns with the format in which the annual Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City is played every May.