The 2026 Little League Softball World Series is set for a historic milestone as every game airs on ESPN’s linear platforms for the first time ever.
The blockbuster broadcast expansion follows a record-shattering 2025 championship game that averaged 1.44 million viewers, a 139% surge from the previous year, according to Little League.
While this year's field is still taking shape, Greenville, North Carolina, and the August 2-9 tournament dates are officially locked in as qualification battles begin.
A dozen teams — eight from the U.S. and four international contenders — will punch their tickets through regional tournaments.
Here are the must-know dates as the road to the Little League Softball World Series officially begins.
When is the Little League Softball World Series?
The 2026 Little League
Softball World Series will take place from August 2 to August 9, 2026 in Greenville, North Carolina.
Where is the softball Little League World Series?
Greenville, North Carolina, has been the home of Little League Softball’s biggest event since 2021. The upcoming showdown marks the sixth straight year Stallings Stadium at Elm Street Park will host the premier championship event.
When are the Little League Softball regional tournaments?
The United States Little League Softball regional tournaments occurred between July 17 and July 23, 2026. The Little League Softball international tournaments were played earlier this summer. Here's a detailed breakdown of the U.S. Little League Softball regional tournaments and the teams that won
Central Region
Team that won: Daviess County Little League (Owensboro, Kentucky)
- Region Tournament Record: 4-1
- League LLSWS Appearance: 1st
- State LLSWS Appearance: 2nd
- Little League Charter Since: 2025
Mid-Atlantic Region
Team that won: Toms River Little League (Toms River, New Jersey)
- Region Tournament Record: 4-1
- League LLSWS Appearance: 1st
- State LLSWS Appearance: 5th
- Little League Charter Since: 2021
New England Region
Team that won: Bristol Girls Softball Little League (Bristol, Connecticut)
- Region Tournament Record: 3-0
- League LLSWS Appearance: 1st
- State LLSWS Appearance: 5th
- Little League Charter Since: 2008
North Carolina Region
Team that won: Johnston County Little League (Clayton, North Carolina)
- Region Tournament Record: 3-0
- League LLSWS Appearance: 1st
- State LLSWS Appearance: 5th as host, 16th overall
- Little League Charter Since: 1993 (2023 softball)
Northwest Region
Team that won: Snohomish Little League (Snohomish, Washington)
- Region Tournament Record: 3-0
- League LLSWS Appearance: 2nd (1st under the current name of the charter)
- State LLSWS Appearance: 5th
- Little League Charter Since: 2008
Southeast Region
Team that won: Lake Mary Little League (Lake Mary, Florida)
- Region Tournament Record: 4-0
- League LLSWS Appearance: 4th
- State LLSWS Appearance: 13th
- Little League Charter Since: 1981
Southwest Region
Team that won: Greater Helotes Little League (Helotes, Texas)
- Region Tournament Record: 3-1
- League LLSWS Appearance: 2nd
- State LLSWS Appearance: 19th
- Little League Charter Since: 1987
West Region
Team that won: Live Oak Little League (Live Oak, California)
- Region Tournament Record: 4-0
- League LLSWS Appearance: 1st
- State LLSWS Appearance: 8th
- Little League Charter Since: 1967 (baseball), year unknown (softball)
Asia-Pacific Region
Team that won: Kinki Softball Little League (Japan)
- Region Tournament Record: 2-0
- League LLSWS Appearance: 1st
- Country LLSWS Appearance: 2nd
- Little League Charter Since: 2025
Europe & Africa Region
Team that won: Emilia Romagna Little League (Italy)
- Region Tournament Record: 5-1
- League LLSWS Appearance: 3rd
- Country LLSWS Appearance: 9th
- Little League Charter Since: 2006
Latin America Region
Team that won: Guayama Softball Little League (Guayama, Puerto Rico)
- Region Tournament Record: 5-0
- League LLSWS Appearance: 3rd
- Country LLSWS Appearance: 17th
- Little League Charter Since: 2018
What channel is the softball Little League World Series on?
The 2026 Little League Softball World Series will be broadcast on ESPN platforms, with the championship game airing on ABC. Games will also be available to stream on ESPN+.
- Dates: August 2nd - August 9th
- TV: ESPN, ESPN2, ABC
- Stream: ESPN+
- Location: Greenville, North Carolina
How old are the players in the Little League Softball World Series?
Softball players be ages 10-12 to participate in the Little League Softball World Series, according to Little League.
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What is the schedule for the 2026 Little League Softball World Series?
Little League International unveiled the first-round matchups for the 2026 Little League Softball World Series on June 9.
Twelve powerhouse teams from around the globe will battle across the Purple and Orange brackets with championship dreams on the line.
The randomly drawn pairings have created can't-miss clashes as the world's brightest young stars prepare for softball's biggest stage. Here is the full day-by-day schedule for the whole tournament, starting with the opening-round matchups.
Sunday, August 2
- Game 1: (Purple): Northwest vs. Southeast, 10 a.m. ESPN2
- Game 2: (Orange): Mid-Atlantic vs. Asia-Pacific, 1 p.m. ESPN2
- Game 3: (Orange): West vs. Central, 4 p.m. ESPN2
- Game 4: (Purple): Canada vs. North Carolina, 7 p.m. ESPN2
Monday, August 3
- Game 5 (Orange): Winner of Game 2 vs. Latin America, 10 a.m. ESPN2
- Game 6 (Purple): Winner of Game 1 vs. Europe and Africa, 1 p.m. ESPN2
- Game 7 (Purple): Winner of Game 4 vs. Southwest, 4 p.m. ESPN2
- Game 8 (Orange): Winner of Game 3 vs. New England, 7 p.m. ESPN2
Tuesday, August 4
- Game 9 (Purple): Loser of Game 1 vs Loser of Game 7, 10 a.m. ESPN2
- Game 10 (Orange): Loser of Game 2 vs Loser of Game 8, 1 p.m. ESPN2
- Game 11 (Orange): Loser of Game 3 vs Loser of Game 5, 4 p.m. ESPN2
- Game 12 (Purple): Loser of Game 4 vs Loser of Game 6, 7 p.m. ESPN2
Wednesday, August 5
- Game 13 (Orange): Winner of Game 10 vs Winner of Game 11, 10 a.m. ESPN2
- Game 14 (Purple): Winner of Game 9 vs Winner of Game 12, 1 p.m. ESPN2
Thursday, August 6
- Game 15 (Purple): Winner of Game 6 vs Winner of Game 7, 1 p.m. ESPN2
- Game 16 (Orange): Winner of Game 5 vs Winner of Game 8, 5 p.m. ESPN2
Friday, August 7
- Game 17 (Purple): Loser of Game 15 vs Winner of Game 14, 3 p.m. ESPN2
- Game 18 (Orange): Loser of Game 16 vs Winner of Game 13, 6 p.m. ESPN2
Saturday, August 8
- Game 19 (Orange championship): Winner of Game 16 vs Winner of Game 18, 2 p.m. ESPN
- Game 20 (Purple championship): Winner of Game 15 vs. Winner of Game 17, 5 p.m. ESPN 2
Sunday, August 9
- Game 21 (Third place game): Loser of Game 19 vs Loser of Game 20, 10 a.m. ESPN
- Game 22 (Little League Softball World Series Championship): Winner of Game 19 vs Winner of Game 20, 3 p.m. ABC
How does a North Carolina softball team qualify for the Little League Softball World Series?
A North Carolina softball team can earn its way into the Little League Softball World Series bracket in one of two ways, according to Little League. "As the host state of the event, the champion of the North Carolina Little League Softball tournament is granted direct entry into the LLSWS, while the runner-up of that tournament will have the opportunity to compete through the Southeast Region Tournament to earn a bid as the Southeast Region Champion," said Kevin Fountain, Senior Director of Communications for Little League International
Who won the 2025 Little League Softball World Series?
The 2025 Little League Softball World Series concluded with Indiana and Pennsylvania competing for the title in Greenville, North Carolina.
Pennsylvania made its first championship game appearance since 2018, and the West Suburban LL squad from Johnstown did not disappoint.
Johnstown, representing the Mid-Atlantic region, recorded four consecutive shutout wins to end the tournament and capture the 2025 LLSWS championship title with a 1-0 victory over Floyds Knobs, Indiana, which was representing the Central region.
The victory marks the first Little League Softball World Series title for a team from Pennsylvania since 1978. - Sherlon Christie, Jon Hoefling and Gabe Zaldivar.
Sherlon Christie is a USA TODAY Sports senior trending editor and an expert on Little League Baseball and Little League Softball. You can reach him by email at schristie@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @sherlonchristie, on Bluesky at @sherlonchristie.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Little League Softball World Series 2026: Meet the contenders
