FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The 2024 Puerto Vallarta College Challenge field and schedule was announced today as Iowa State will be one of the seven teams in the first session of the eighth edition of the event.

The Cyclones will compete in what figures to be one of the toughest fields of the spring, as the event as a whole will feature five members of the 2023 super regionals. Joining the Cyclones in session one (Feb. 8 – Feb. 11) are Duke, Long Beach State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah Valley and Washington.

The second session of the challenge will feature Auburn, UC Davis, UC San Diego, Clemson, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Utah and Wichita State and runs from Feb. 14 to Feb. 18.

The challenge is not a tournament, as all of the matchups are already scheduled. Iowa State will face four opponents across four days and is the only program to not have a doubleheader during the week.

The Cyclones get underway on the first day of action against Utah Valley in an afternoon matchup. ISU then kicks off the second day at 10 a.m. against Duke, a program that fell in the super regionals to Stanford last season.

Following its tough test with Duke, Iowa State will face off with Washington on Saturday afternoon, a program that made it to the Women’s College World Series last year. ISU will wrap competition play on Sunday, Feb. 11, against Long Beach State at 10 a.m. ISU and Long Beach State will be the only game that Sunday.

ISU will make its first-ever appearance in the Puerto Vallarta Challenge as it becomes the final Big 12 school to compete in the esteemed early-season challenge. Last season, BYU, Oklahoma State and Kansas all competed in the Mexico-based event.

Iowa State and Utah Valley will meet for the second time ever in the competition, with the Wolverines owning a 1-0 advantage over ISU thanks to a 1-0 win in eight innings back in 2017.

The Cyclones and Blue Devils will meet for the first time on the diamond in Puerto Vallarta. Iowa State will face Washington for the second time ever, having fallen short 1-0 to the Huskies in 2022 when UW was ranked fifth.

ISU and Long Beach State have met 13 times prior to their upcoming matchup. LBSU holds a 10-3 all-time advantage over Iowa State, though the Cyclones have won the last two meetings.

All games will be live-streamed by FloSoftball.

Games are played at Nancy Almaraz Stadium and the oceanside Sheraton Buganvilias Resort and Convention Center is within walking distance of the stadium. Visit www.pvcollegechallenge.com for more information.

Challenge Schedule
Thursday, Feb. 8 

10:30 a.m. – Utah Valley vs. Oklahoma

1 p.m. – Duke vs. Oklahoma

4 p.m. – Iowa State vs. Utah Valley

6:30 p.m. – Nebraska vs. Washington

 Friday, Feb. 9 

10 a.m. – Duke vs. Iowa State

12:30 p.m. – Duke vs. Nebraska

3 p.m. – Long Beach State vs. Nebraska

6 p.m. – Utah Valley vs. Washington

8:30 p.m. – Oklahoma vs. Washington

 Saturday, Feb. 10 

10:30 a.m. – Nebraska vs. Utah Valley

1 p.m. – Oklahoma vs. Long Beach State

4 p.m. – Washington vs. Iowa State

6:30 p.m. – Duke vs. Long Beach State

Sunday, Feb. 11 

10 a.m. – Iowa State vs. Long Beach State

*All times Central