ELON – The Elon University softball team and head coach Kathy Bocock announced the program's 2026 schedule on Thursday. The Phoenix is slated to compete in 52 games, with 30 of them at the team's home diamond at Hunt Softball Park.
 
Elon will also face seven teams that reached the 2025 NCAA Tournament and will host the 2026 CAA Softball Championship on May 5-9.
 
The Phoenix opens the 2026 campaign on Feb. 5 by hosting the Elon Classic, its first of three home tournaments. The Maroon and Gold welcomes Radford, UConn, James Madison and North Carolina to the four-day event, held Feb. 5-8.
 
A midweek matchup against Charlotte on Feb. 10 serves as a precursor to Elon's second home tournament, the Phoenix Invitational (Feb. 12-15). The Phoenix will host Mount St. Mary's, Manhattan and Dayton at Hunt Softball Park.
 
Elon hosts in-state rival and ACC foe Duke on Feb. 17 before traveling to Florida State for a tournament Feb. 20-22. The Phoenix will face Alabama, Dartmouth and the host Seminoles in the competitive field.
 
Elon returns home to host the Tar Heels in a midweek contest on Feb. 25 before co-hosting a tournament with UNCG from Feb. 27-March 1. The Phoenix opens the event against Indiana before closing the weekend with Charleston Southern and the co-host Spartans.
 
After a trip to NC State on March 3, the Phoenix begins CAA play at home versus North Carolina A&T from March 6-8. That series starts a seven-game homestand that also includes visits from Virginia Tech (March 11), Tarleton State (March 13 and 15) and Lehigh (March 14).
 
Following the homestand, Elon travels to East Carolina for a midweek game on March 17 before heading to UNCW for a three-game conference series March 20-22. The Phoenix then returns home for a four-game stretch at Hunt Softball Park against Wofford (March 24) and Campbell (March 27-29) to close the month.
 
April begins with a three-game set at College of Charleston (April 3-5) before the Phoenix hosts Hampton on April 10-12. Elon then hits the road for a CAA series at Campbell (April 17-19) before closing its home schedule with Stony Brook on April 24-26.
 
The regular season concludes in Greensboro as Elon faces North Carolina A&T from April 30-May 2. The 2026 CAA Softball Championship is scheduled for May 5-9 at Hunt Softball Park.
 
Elon is coming off a 33-21 season, including a 21-6 mark in CAA play. The Phoenix captured its first-ever CAA tournament championship, earning the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010. The Maroon and Gold returns 13 players from that squad, including four starters and three pitchers.