Has any team four-peated as WCWS national champions? Oklahoma softball is the first
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include Oklahoma's 2024 national championship.
Oklahoma softball is achieved history this year in the Women's College World Series.
The Sooners (57-7, 22-5 in Big 12 play) already were one of college softball's biggest powerhouses over the last decade, and further cemented that status by becoming the first program to win four consecutive Women's College World Series titles.
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Winners of the last four national championships — and seven in the past 12 years — Oklahoma ranks tied for second all time on the list of winningest Women's College Softball World Series champions, with eight. Oklahoma secured its four-peat on Thursday with a win over No. 1 national seed and rival Texas to conclude the 2024 NCAA Softball Tournament.
Here's what you need to know about Oklahoma's historic fourth straight championship:
Has any team won four consecutive Women's College World Series?
Prior to Oklahoma's four-peat in 2021-24, UCLA has come the closest, winning three of the first four Women's College World Series titles from 1982-85 and three-peating from 1988 through 1990. The Bruins also won four in five years from 1988-92, but fell short of a four-peat in 1991, finishing as runners up to Arizona in the WCWS. Had they won that season, the Bruins would have won five straight from 1988 through 1992.
Curiously, the Bruins also kept the Wildcats from four-peating in the Women's College World Series. Arizona's first title in 1991 kept UCLA from the four-peat, though the Bruins returned the favor over the Wildcats a year later, winning the title to keep them from repeating. Arizona repeated in 1993-94 before losing to UCLA in 1995 (a title the Bruins would later vacate) before repeating again in 1996-97.
In all, UCLA and Arizona won five WCWS titles apiece from 1988 through 1997, accounting for the college softball championship for the span of an entire decade. Moreover, one of the pairing finished as champions and runners up in five of seasons. Perhaps most impressively, at least one the Bruins and Wildcats finished either as champion or runners up from the 1987 Women's College World Series through 2001.
Oklahoma (2021-24) and UCLA (1988-90) are the only two programs to have won three or more consecutive titles.
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Most Women's College World Series titles
UCLA holds the record for most Women's College World Series titles with 13. Arizona and Oklahoma (eight), Florida (two), Arizona State (two) and Texas A&M (two) round out the top five. Here's a list of the programs with the Women's College World Series.
If Oklahoma wins its eighth WCWS title in 2024, it will move into a tie for second place with Arizona.
1. UCLA: 12* (1982, 1984-85, 1988-90, 1992, 1999, 2003-04, 2010, 2019)
T-2. Arizona: 8 (1991, 1993-94, 1996-97, 2001, 2006-07)
T-2. Oklahoma: 7 (2000, 2013, 2016-17, 2021-23)
T-4. Texas A&M: 2 (1983, 1987)
T-4. Arizona State: 2 (2008, 2011)
T-4. Florida: 2 (2014-15)
T-7. Cal State Fullerton: 1 (1986)
T-7. Fresno State: 1 (1998)
T-7. Cal: 1 (2002)
T-7. Washington: 1 (2009)
T-7. Alabama: 1 (2012)
T-7. Michigan: 1 (2005)
T-7. Florida State: 1 (2018)
* Does not include vacated 1995 WCWS title
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Past Women's College World Series winners
Here's a full list of who has won the Women's College World Series dating back to 1982, when the sport became an NCAA-governed sport:
2024: Oklahoma
2023: Oklahoma
2022: Oklahoma
2021: Oklahoma
2020: Canceled due to COVID-19
2019: UCLA
2018: Florida State
2017: Oklahoma
2016: Oklahoma
2015: Florida
2014: Florida
2013: Oklahoma
2012: Alabama
2011: Arizona State
2010: UCLA
2009: Washington
2008: Arizona State
2007: Arizona
2006: Arizona
2005: Michigan
2004: UCLA
2003: UCLA
2002: California
2001: Arizona
2000: Oklahoma
1999: UCLA
1998: Fresno State
1997: Arizona
1996: Arizona
1995: UCLA
1994: Arizona
1993: Arizona
1992: UCLA
1991: Arizona
1990: UCLA
1989: UCLA
1988: UCLA
1987: Texas A&M
1986: Cal State Fullerton
1985: UCLA
1984: UCLA
1983: Texas A&M
1982: UCLA
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: WCWS four-peat champions: Oklahoma softball becomes first to achieve feat