The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Board of Directors unanimously approved the Iowa State Softball Tournament moving to a double-elimination format in 2026 at their October 17th meeting.

“Anyone that has watched the Softball College World Series knows how exciting the double-elimination format is,” said IGHSAU Executive Director Erin Gerlich. “We are thrilled to bring that excitement to the State Softball Tournament. This format will be exciting for both teams and fans, and we are grateful to the city of Fort Dodge for committing to enhancing Rogers’ Park to make a double-elimination tournament possible.”

The move to a double-elimination tournament is in conjunction with the city of Fort Dodge’s multi-million-dollar investment of improvements they will be making to Harlan and Hazel Rogers Park, the home of the IGHSAU State Softball Tournament since 1970. The renovations, scheduled over the next five years, include five championship fields, press box accommodations for those fields, additional parking areas and with various other changes to the Rogers’ Park infrastructure.

“The commitment from the City of Fort Dodge council and administration, Iowa Central Community College, Visit Fort Dodge, and our community make this investment a reality for our partners, student-athletes, and fans,” said Lori Branderhorst, Director of Fort Dodge’s Recreational Services Division. “Our team is excited to continue growing our relationship with the Iowa Girl.”

The double-elimination tournament will continue to be a five-day tournament. Five fields will be utilized during the week, with single-game championships for all five classes taking place on Thursday and Friday of the tournament. A formal schedule for the tournament has yet to be finalized, but all games leading up to the championship contests will continue to be streamed.