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The state softball tournament will become a double-elimination affair, beginning in 2026.
The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released the news Friday morning.
Anyone that has watched the (Women’s College World Series) knows how exciting the double-elimination format is,” IGHSAU executive director Erin Gerlich said in a statement.
“We are thrilled to bring that excitement to the state softball tournament. This format will be exciting for both teams and fans, and we are grateful to the city of Fort Dodge for committing to enhancing Rogers’ Park to make a double-elimination tournament possible.”
The move, according to the IGHSAU release, “is in conjunction with the city of Fort Dodge’s multi-million-dollar investment of improvements they will be making to (the Rogers Sports Complex).”
State softball has been a Fort Dodge staple since 1970.
Renovations, scheduled over the next five years, include five championship-level fields, press accommodations for those fields, additional parking areas and with various other changes to the Rogers’ Park infrastructure.
“Our team is excited to continue growing our relationship with the Iowa Girl,” said Lori Branderhorst, director of Fort Dodge’s recreational services division.
The tournament, according to the Girls Union, will continue to be a five-class, five-day format.
A schedule for the tournament has yet to be finalized, but all games leading up to the championship contests will continue to be streamed.
Single-game championships for all five classes will be played on the Thursday and Friday of the tournament.