EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The 2026 SIUE softball schedule features 20 games at Cougar Field, including a pair of games against Power 4 schools. SIUE opens the home season with Minnesota (March 10) and also will play host to Missouri (April 21).

The home schedule includes three-game series against Ohio Valley Conference rivals Morehead State (March 14-15), Eastern Illinois (March 21-22), Southeast Missouri (April 3-4), Southern Indiana (April 18-19) and Western Illinois (May 1-2).

The Cougars also have nonconference home contests scheduled with Saint Louis (April 1) as well as an April 15 doubleheader with Kansas City.

The 2026 schedule officially begins in February with the first of four tournaments. The schedule features tournaments in Fresno, California; Hammond, Louisiana; Commerce, Texas, and Richmond, Kentucky.

The schedule starts Feb. 6-8 at the Fresno State Tournament with three contests against Idaho State and two against host Fresno State.

SIUE travels for the Mardi Gras Mambo at Hammond, Louisiana (Feb. 13-15) where the Cougars face Northwestern State, Sam Houston, Southeastern Louisiana, Louisiana Tech and Nicholls.

Action continues in Commerce, Texas, for the Lion Classic (Feb. 20-22). SIUE meets St. Thomas, East Texas A&M, Southern and plays two games against North Texas.

The tournament schedule concludes at former Ohio Valley Conference rival Eastern Kentucky (Feb. 27-March 1) where SIUE plays Bradley, Pittsburgh (twice), Saint Louis and host Eastern Kentucky.

SIUE's OVC schedule begins March 7-8 with a three-game series at Tennessee Tech. The Cougars have OVC road series at UT Martin (March 28-29), Lindenwood (April 11-12), and Tennessee State (April 25-26).

The Cougars play three nonconference road games at Saint Louis (March 18), Missouri State (April 7) and SIU Carbondale (April 28).

The OVC Tournament returns to Peoria, Illinois, for an eight-team event (May 6-9).