FORT COLLINS, Colo. – On Tuesday, Triple Crown Sports officially announced that the UTSA softball team would join Southern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky, and Long Beach State in competition at the 10th annual Puerto Vallarta Challenge, which will span Feb. 11-14, 2026, at Nancy Almaraza Stadium in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
This will mark the first time that the softball team will compete internationally, and it’s just the second occasion that they’ve left the continental United States, last taking on a Hawaii Tournament in 1997.
“Triple Crown Sports is really proud to host this event again given the changing landscape in college athletics,” said Tournament Director Dave King. “Puerto Vallarta is the perfect place to start a new softball season. Between the energy of the games, the beauty of the Pacific coast, and the chance for teams and fans to share this experience together, the event is truly one-of-a-kind in college athletics.”
Fan Lodging & Tickets
Fan lodging packages are available. Explore your options for a relaxing, safe, and convenient stay steps away from the action: Fan Lodging – Puerto Vallarta College Challenge.
Tickets for the 2026 Puerto Vallarta College Challenge can also be purchased in advance here: Tickets – Puerto Vallarta College Challenge.
About Triple Crown Sports
Based in Fort Collins, CO, Triple Crown Sports has been producing youth, high school and college events for more than 40 years. TCS runs both the Postseason WNIT basketball event and produces the men’s and women’s DI Cancun Challenge tournaments in November. Triple Crown also powers the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) and launched the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in 2015, which annually features more than 10 of the top DI college softball teams in Puerto Vallarta, MX. Anchored by the 1,200-team Colorado 4th of July event, TC fastpitch softball tournaments draw the nation’s finest club programs, and hundreds of college coaches attend TCS events for recruiting purposes. The company also produces one of the largest youth baseball events in the world with the 700-team Omaha SlumpBuster during the College World Series. The Triple Crown Volleyball NIT has become the top-recruited club volleyball event in the country each February when 550 teams compete in Kansas City, MO.
Keep up with UTSA Softball on goutsa.com, and by following the program on Facebook at /UTSASB, X (Twitter) @UTSASoftball, and on Instagram @utsasoftball.
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