# 1976 Women's College World Series

The 1976 Women's College World Series (WCWS) was held in Omaha, Nebraska on May 13–16, with nineteen college softball teams meeting in the 1976 ASA/AIAW fastpitch softball tournament. Most of the teams had won state championships. This was the last WCWS before the adoption of regional qualifying tournaments. Because college softball had not yet been separated into competitive divisions, large and small colleges competed together in one overall national championship.
The Michigan State Spartans went undefeated through all five of their games to win the 1976 national championship, beating Northern Colorado, 3–0, in the final game. Carol Hutchins played shortstop for that 1976 team and would coach the rival Michigan Wolverines to the WCWS title 29 years later in 2005.

## Teams

The double-elimination tournament included the following teams:
| Team | Appearance |
| Arizona State | 4th |
| Cal State–Sacramento | 1st |
| East Stroudsburg State (PA) | 2nd |
| Illinois State | 6th |
| Indiana State | 2nd |
| Kansas | 4th |
| Mayville State (ND) | 1st |
| Michigan State | 4th |
| Minnesota | 1st |
| Nebraska–Omaha | 7th |
| Northern Colorado | 8th |
| Northern Iowa | 3rd |
| Northern State (SD) | 2nd |
| Northwestern Oklahoma State | 1st |
| Oregon | 1st |
| South Carolina | 4th |
| Tarkio College (MO) | 1st |
| Texas–Arlington | 1st |
| Utah | 1st |

## Bracket

The bracket included 19 teams with results as shown.
| Upper round 1 | Upper round 1 | Upper round 2 | Upper round 2 | Upper round 3 | Upper round 3 | Upper round 4 | Upper round 4 | Upper final | Upper final | | | | | | Final | Final | Final |
| | | Minnesota | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Minnesota | 5 | Michigan State | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Minnesota | 5 | Michigan State | 2 | Michigan State | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Oregon | 1 | | | Michigan State | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Oregon | 1 | | | Kansas | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Cal State–Sacramento | L | Kansas | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Cal State–Sacramento | 5 | Kansas | W | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Cal State–Sacramento | 5 | Kansas | W | | | Michigan State | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| Utah | 1 | | | | | Michigan State | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| Utah | 1 | | | | | Arizona State | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | East Stroudsburg | 4 | | | Arizona State | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| East Stroudsburg | 10 | Arizona State | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| East Stroudsburg | 10 | Arizona State | 14 | Arizona State | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| South Carolina | 0 | | | Arizona State | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| South Carolina | 0 | | | Northern Iowa | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Northern Iowa | 3 | Northern Iowa | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Northern State | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Northern State | 1 | | | | | Michigan State | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Nebraska–Omaha | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | | Nebraska–Omaha | 10 | | | | | Nebraska–Omaha | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | | Mayville State College | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Mayville State College | 0 | Nebraska–Omaha | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Tarkio College | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Tarkio College | 3 | Tarkio College | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Indiana State | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Indiana State | 0 | | | Nebraska–Omaha | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Northern Colorado | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Illinois State | 7 | | | Northern Colorado | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Northwestern Oklahoma State | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Northwestern Oklahoma State | 0 | Illinois State | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Illinois State | 1 | | | | | | | | | | Michigan State | 3 | – |
| | | | | Northern Colorado | 5 | | | | | | | | | | Michigan State | 3 | – |
| | | Northern Colorado | 1$^{(12)}$ | Northern Colorado | 5 | | | | | | | | | | Northern Colorado | 0 | – |
| | | Texas–Arlington | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Lower round 1 | Lower round 1 | Lower round 2 | Lower round 2 | Lower round 3 | Lower round 3 | Lower round 4 | Lower round 4 | Lower round 5 | Lower round 5 | Lower round 6 | Lower final | Lower final | | | | | |
| | | | | East Stroudsburg | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | East Stroudsburg | 0 | | | Tarkio College | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | | East Stroudsburg | 4 | Tarkio College | 3 | | | Tarkio College | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | | East Stroudsburg | 4 | Tarkio College | 3 | Tarkio College | 5 | Arizona State | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| Northern State | 1 | Utah | 1 | | | Tarkio College | 5 | Arizona State | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| Northern State | 1 | Utah | 1 | | | Illinois State | 0 | | | | | | Northern Colorado | 3 | | | |
| Utah | 5 | | | Cal State–Sacramento | 3 | Illinois State | 0 | | | | | | Northern Colorado | 3 | | | |
| Utah | 5 | | | Cal State–Sacramento | 3 | | | | | Arizona State | 3 | | Nebraska–Omaha | 2 | | | |
| | | Cal State–Sacramento | 6 | Illinois State | 6 | | | | | Arizona State | 3 | | Nebraska–Omaha | 2 | | | |
| | | Cal State–Sacramento | 6 | Illinois State | 6 | | | | | Northern Colorado | 13 | | | | | | |
| Mayville State College | 0 | Minnesota | 1 | | | | | | | Northern Colorado | 13 | | | | | | |
| Oregon | 11 | | | Indiana State | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Oregon | 11 | | | Indiana State | 2 | | Northern Iowa | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Indiana State | 14 | Northern Iowa | 10 | | Northern Iowa | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Indiana State | 14 | Northern Iowa | 10 | Northern Iowa | 6 | Northern Colorado | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | | Oregon | 6 | | | Northern Iowa | 6 | Northern Colorado | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| | | Oregon | 6 | | | Texas–Arlington | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Texas–Arlington | 2 | Texas–Arlington | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Texas–Arlington | 3 | Kansas | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Northwestern Oklahoma State | 1 | South Carolina | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| South Carolina | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* 1 2 The Michigan State Softball Record Book lists the scores of these wins over Kansas and Arizona State as 6-4 and 4-0, respectively.
* ↑ No-hitter. The Northern Colorado Softball Record Book lists this score as 5-0.

## Ranking

| Place | School | WCWS Record |
| 1st | Michigan State | 5-0 |
| 2nd | Northern Colorado | 5-2 |
| 3rd | Nebraska–Omaha | 3-2 |
| 4th | Arizona State | 3-2 |
| 5th | Tarkio College | 3-2 |
| 5th | Northern Iowa | 3-2 |
| 7th | Illinois State | 2-2 |
| 7th | Texas–Arlington | 2-2 |
| 9th | East Stroudsburg State College | 2-2 |
| 9th | Cal State–Sacramento | 2-2 |
| 9th | Kansas | 1-2 |
| 9th | Indiana State | 1-2 |
| 13th | Utah | 1-2 |
| 13th | Oregon | 1-2 |
| 13th | South Carolina | 1-2 |
| 13th | Minnesota | 1-2 |
| 17th | Northwestern Oklahoma State | 0-2 |
| 17th | Northern State College | 0-2 |
| 17th | Mayville State College | 0-2 |