KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan University softball team has unveiled its upcoming schedule for the program's 50th season.

The Broncos will be participating in four non-conference tournaments to open action for the 2026 season. WMU will face 26 different programs across 53 games in four months before concluding the year at the Mid-American Conference Tournament the first full week of May. Among those programs, the Brown and Gold will see two 2025 NCAA Tournament teams and two others that appeared in their respective conference tournament championship games.

Western Michigan opens 2026 at the Blue Hose Invitational hosted by the Presbyterian Blue Hose from Feb. 6-8. In five games, the Broncos will face the host team twice along with individual games against Dayton, Morehead State, and Lemoyne. WMU then heads to the South Alabama Tournament from Feb. 13-15 for games against USA, Jacksonville State, and UAB.

The Brown and Gold's third non-conference tournament of the season will be a little closer to home at the Hilltopper Classic hosted by Western Kentucky. Western Michigan will face an in-state rival to open the tournament on Feb. 20 in the Detroit Mercy Titans before facing the host school and then the Butler Bulldogs from the 20^th until Feb. 22. The Broncos final tournament to open the season is the Cathi Maynard Invitational hosted by Austin Peay from March 6-8. WMU opens the tournament with a rematch of Butler before playing the host Governors on the 6^th. The Brown and Gold will also face Lipscomb on March 7.

Western Michigan's first individual game of the season will come against an NCAA Tournament team in the Ohio State Buckeyes on Tuesday, March 10. The Tuesday meeting will be only the sixth meeting between the two programs and the first in 17 years. The following day the Broncos will play the Dayton Flyers for the second time, but this time on the Flyers home diamond.

WMU's first MAC series of the season keeps the Brown and Gold in Ohio to take on the reigning 2025 MAC Champions Miami from March 13-14. Western Michigan won't play a midweek game the following week before opening play at Ebert Field on March 20 against Bowling Green. The Broncos will host their first midweek game with in-state rival Oakland on March 24 before welcoming Akron to the 'Zoo for a series from March 27-28.

WMU then returns to the road for a midweek stop at Notre Dame on March 31 before playing its first MAC series at UMass from April 3-4. The series to open April will be the third meeting between the two programs and the first on a non-neutral site for the Brown and Gold. Western Michigan returns to Ebert Field on April 7 to host in-state rival Central Michigan for a three game midweek series.

The Broncos then head to Ball State for a series from April 11-12 before hosting Toledo on April 17 and 18 for Alumnae Weekend. WMU's last non-conference game of 2026 will be on the road at Michigan State on April 21 before coming back to Ebert Field for the Brown and Gold's final home series of the season. Western Michigan will honor its senior players from April 24-25 against Northern Illinois in the program's final games as conference opponents.

The Broncos final regular season series of the year will be on the road at Kent State. WMU opens the month of May at the Flashes for three games from May 1-2. The Brown and Gold will then move onto postseason play at the MAC Tournament at Firestone Stadium in Akron from May 6 to May 9.