Regular Season Champion USF Awarded Automatic NCAA Bid
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
HOUSTON, Texas – Due to a continuous pattern of inclement weather in the Houston area, the 2019 American Softball Championship will not be completed.
Three first-round games were played to completion Thursday, but heavy rains forced the suspension of the fourth first-round contest and prevented the subsequent rounds of the tournament from being played.
“First and foremost, our thoughts are with all of the people in the greater Houston region who are dealing with this extreme weather,” said American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco. “We regret that our student-athletes were not able to enjoy a traditional championship experience this season, but the safety of our student-athletes remains our first priority.”
Per American Athletic Conference policy, no tournament champion will be declared. USF, as the highest remaining seed in the tournament, will be awarded The American’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
THE AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The American Athletic Conference (The American), a member of the NCAA, was reconstituted in 2013. With the conference office in Providence, Rhode Island, The American is comprised of the following institutions: UCF, Cincinnati, UConn, ECU, Houston, Memphis, Navy (in football only), USF, SMU, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa and Wichita State. Under the leadership of Commissioner Mike Aresco, The American sponsors 22 championships – 10 for men and 12 for women; is a member of the College Football Playoff; began new television partnerships with ESPN and CBS Sports in 2014; and has a marketing partnership with Learfield. For more information, please visit www.TheAmerican.org.
Erin Beck // USF Athletics
Assistant Director of Communications
W Soccer, Softball, M&W Tennis
