James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
James Madison Set To Host 2027 Sun Belt Conference Softball Championships
4/30/2025 1:00:00 PM | Softball
NEW ORLEANS — The Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship will be hosted by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2026 and James Madison University in 2027, the conference office announced Wednesday.
In May 2026, the 10-team single-elimination tournament is scheduled to take place at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park in Lafayette, La. In May 2027, the event will be held at Bank of the James Field at Veterans Memorial Park in Harrisonburg, Va.
"We look forward to returning to Louisiana for the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship and to seeing James Madison host the event for the first time in 2027," said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill. "As one of the nation's premier softball leagues and a consistent multi-bid conference, we anticipate first-class experiences for our student-athletes and fans at both venues."
The 2026 championship will mark the seventh time that Lamson Park – the site of the conference's inaugural softball tournament event in 2000 – has served as the host site for the Sun Belt Conference championship. The Ragin Cajuns' home facility previously hosted the tournament in 2000, 2004, 2011, 2014 and 2018, and 2023.
"We are excited to host the Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship for the seventh time in the league's history, and we are thrilled to welcome our visiting institutions and fans to Cajun Country in 2026," Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Bryan Maggard said. "The Sun Belt Conference has historically been rated as one of the best softball conferences in the nation, and it will be an exciting week for our community. We are thankful to the selection committee for selecting us and look forward to hosting the Sun Belt Championship in one of the nation's best softball environments at Lamson Park."
The 2027 event will be the first time Veterans Memorial Park hosts the Sun Belt's tournament after the venue previously hosted seven-consecutive Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) tournaments from 2014-2021, excluding the COVID-cancelled 2020 event. The Dukes won the tournament on their home field five times during that span.
"Our focus every day is to provide championship experiences for our student-athletes, so it's extremely rewarding when we can provide that opportunity right here at home and in our home facility," JMU Director of Athletics Matt Roan said. "We have a high-level, championship-quality venue, and we're excited to showcase it after its expansion a few years ago. This type of event also brings tremendous impact to our local community, so we're excited to work with our local partners to showcase everything that JMU and the Shenandoah Valley has to offer."
Four programs have earned the Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship title since the tournament's inception. Louisiana holds 18 all-time tournament championships, followed by South Alabama with three, Texas State with two and former member Florida Atlantic with one.
For additional information on the 2025 Sun Belt Softball Championship—which begins on Wednesday, May 7, on the campus of Troy University—please visit the Sun Belt Softball Championship Central.
In May 2026, the 10-team single-elimination tournament is scheduled to take place at Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park in Lafayette, La. In May 2027, the event will be held at Bank of the James Field at Veterans Memorial Park in Harrisonburg, Va.
"We look forward to returning to Louisiana for the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship and to seeing James Madison host the event for the first time in 2027," said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill. "As one of the nation's premier softball leagues and a consistent multi-bid conference, we anticipate first-class experiences for our student-athletes and fans at both venues."
The 2026 championship will mark the seventh time that Lamson Park – the site of the conference's inaugural softball tournament event in 2000 – has served as the host site for the Sun Belt Conference championship. The Ragin Cajuns' home facility previously hosted the tournament in 2000, 2004, 2011, 2014 and 2018, and 2023.
"We are excited to host the Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship for the seventh time in the league's history, and we are thrilled to welcome our visiting institutions and fans to Cajun Country in 2026," Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Bryan Maggard said. "The Sun Belt Conference has historically been rated as one of the best softball conferences in the nation, and it will be an exciting week for our community. We are thankful to the selection committee for selecting us and look forward to hosting the Sun Belt Championship in one of the nation's best softball environments at Lamson Park."
The 2027 event will be the first time Veterans Memorial Park hosts the Sun Belt's tournament after the venue previously hosted seven-consecutive Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) tournaments from 2014-2021, excluding the COVID-cancelled 2020 event. The Dukes won the tournament on their home field five times during that span.
"Our focus every day is to provide championship experiences for our student-athletes, so it's extremely rewarding when we can provide that opportunity right here at home and in our home facility," JMU Director of Athletics Matt Roan said. "We have a high-level, championship-quality venue, and we're excited to showcase it after its expansion a few years ago. This type of event also brings tremendous impact to our local community, so we're excited to work with our local partners to showcase everything that JMU and the Shenandoah Valley has to offer."
Four programs have earned the Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship title since the tournament's inception. Louisiana holds 18 all-time tournament championships, followed by South Alabama with three, Texas State with two and former member Florida Atlantic with one.
For additional information on the 2025 Sun Belt Softball Championship—which begins on Wednesday, May 7, on the campus of Troy University—please visit the Sun Belt Softball Championship Central.
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