TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida A&M softball will carry the No. 1 seed from the SWAC East Division into the 2026 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament, set for May 5–9 at the Gulfport Sportsplex in Gulfport, Miss. The Rattlers earned the top spot in the East after a dominant divisional campaign and will look to convert that regular-season success into a conference championship.

The eight-team, double-elimination tournament features the top four finishers from each of the SWAC's two divisions. As the East's top seed, FAMU draws No. 4-seed Arkansas-Pine Bluff out of the West Division in the opening round. The two sides of the bracket are split by division, with the East's No. 1 and No. 2 seeds on one side and the West's No. 1 and No. 2 on the other, setting up a potential cross-division clash in the winner's bracket final.

All times listed as eastern.

THE RATTLERS' PATH TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP
FAMU's road to a title runs through a maximum of four games in the winner's bracket—or as few as three if the Rattlers stay unbeaten. Here is a game-by-game breakdown of what it will take:

Game 4 | Tuesday, May 5, 7 p.m. – No. 1 East FAMU vs. No. 4 West Arkansas-Pine Bluff
The Rattlers open tournament play against the Golden Lions, the fourth seed from the West Division. A win advances FAMU directly into the winner's bracket semifinal on Wednesday evening. A loss would drop the Rattlers into the elimination side, where they would need to win four consecutive games to reach the title game—a scenario FAMU is determined to avoid.

Game 8 | Wednesday, May 6, 7 p.m. – Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 4
With a first-round victory, FAMU would face the winner of Game 2, a matchup between No. 2-seed Southern (West) and No. 3-seed Bethune-Cookman (East). The Rattlers would be well-acquainted with Bethune-Cookman from divisional play and have seen Southern across the SWAC schedule. A victory here puts FAMU one win away from the championship game.

Game 11 | Thursday, May 7, 4:30 p.m. – Winner's Bracket Final
This is the gateway to Friday's title game. The winner of Game 8 meets the winner of Game 7, which features the survivors from the West Division's top half of the bracket—likely No. 1-seed Prairie View A&M or No. 2-seed Jackson State. A FAMU win here clinches a spot in the championship and the luxury of needing just one more victory to claim the crown. A loss sends the Rattlers to the elimination bracket for one more do-or-die contest on Friday morning.

Championship | Friday, May 8, 3:30 p.m.
The winner's bracket champion meets the last team standing from the elimination side. Because the Rattlers would enter this game undefeated in the tournament, their opponent would need to beat FAMU twice—once on Friday and again in Championship Game 2 on Saturday, May 9, at 12 p.m.—to take the title. FAMU, however, needs only one win to be crowned SWAC Tournament champions and earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Softball Championship.

BEST-CASE SCENARIO
In a perfect run, FAMU would play three games—Game 4 on Tuesday, Game 8 on Wednesday and Game 11 on Thursday—before needing just one championship victory on Friday to finish the tournament unbeaten. That three-win path to the title game is the reward the Rattlers earned by claiming the East Division's top seed.

IF THE RATTLERS DROP A GAME
The double-elimination format provides a safety net. Should FAMU lose at any point before the championship, the Rattlers would shift to the elimination bracket, where they would need to win every remaining game to reach—and then win—the title game. An early loss in Game 4 would create the longest road: four consecutive elimination-bracket wins followed by two championship victories. The message is simple—stay on the winner's side.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Location: Gulfport Sportsplex – Gulfport, Miss.
Dates: May 5–9, 2026
Format: Eight-team, double elimination
FAMU First Pitch: Tuesday, May 5, 7 p.m. EST vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Game 4)
Fans can follow live updates and tournament coverage on FAMU Athletics' official social media channels and at famuathletics.com.