While some may believe that Gerry Glasco and the Texas Tech Red Raiders are deserving of the No. 1 ranking in the country as we get set to start the 2026 NCAA softball season, you can’t count D1Softball in that group.
According to the folks who put together D1Softball’s preseason top 25 college softball rankings, the Red Raiders are the No. 2 team in the country and happen to be ranked right behind the team that broke their hearts in the 2025 Women’s College World Series championship series.
That’s right, D1Softball currently has the Red Raiders opening 2026 sitting behind the Longhorns, chasing Texas to start the season. And while I don’t necessarily disagree with it if I look at the rankings from an objective place, I do need to say that it stings a little bit.
Texas Tech softball sitting at No. 2 behind Texas Longhorns in 2026 preseason NCAA softball rankings according to D1Softball
New ranking! pic.twitter.com/VMsOIKl4et
— Texas Tech Softball (@TexasTechSB) January 20, 2026
The ranking is clearly a good ranking. I mean, objectively speaking again, it’s great seeing the Red Raiders counted among the top five teams in the country as we get the season started. Putting Texas Tech at No. 2? That’s validation that this team is moving in the right direction as a program.
Here’s what the full top 25 preseason NCAA softball rankings look like from D1Softball:
- Texas Longhorns
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Oklahoma Sooners
- Tennessee Lady Vols
- Florida Gators
- Oregon Ducks
- Florida State Seminoles
- Arkansas Razorbacks
- Nebraska Cornhuskers
- UCLA Bruins
- Texas A&M Aggies
- LSU Tigers
- South Carolina Gamecocks
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Clemson Tigers
- Duke Blue Devils
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Stanford Cardinal
- Oklahoma State Cowgirls
- Virginia Tech Hokies
- Arizona Wildcats
- Washington Huskies
- Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Virginia Cavaliers
Look, the Red Raiders have a pretty clear and obvious path in front of them. If Texas Tech wants to be the top ranked team, then Texas Tech is going to have to be the last team standing. Given that the Big 12 isn’t nearly as crowded as the SEC this season, cruising through the regular season shouldn’t be too big of a deal.
And in the postseason, all Texas Tech needs to do is just keep winning. Being behind the team that ended your season in the championship series stings a bit, but it definitely makes it clear what the Red Raiders need to do this season.