The best in college softball will descend upon Devon Park in Oklahoma City beginning Thursday for the 2024 Women's College World Series.

Texas and Oklahoma are the top two seeds entering the tournament and are the clear favorites to emerge with the championship, but are hardly the only contenders.

They are joined by Oklahoma State, Stanford, Florida, UCLA, Duke, and Alabama, all of whom made it through their regional and super-regional rounds without suffering a defeat.

Will one of the top two squads take home the top prize in the game or will one of the other six teams upset them and take the title?

Find out when and where you can find out the answer to that question with this preview of the extravaganza.

Bracket, Schedule, and Viewing Info

• Game 1: Alabama (14) vs. UCLA (6) (12:00 p.m., ESPN)
  
• Game 2: Duke (10) vs. Oklahoma (2) (2:30 p.m., ESPN)
• Game 3: Texas (1) vs. Stanford (8) (7:00 p.m., ESPN2)
• Game 4: Oklahoma State (5) vs. Florida (9:30 p.m., ESPN2)

• Game 5: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (7:00 p.m., ESPN)
• Game 6: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 (9:30 p.m., ESPN)
  

• Game 7: TBD vs. TBD (3:00 p.m., ABC)
• Game 8: TBD vs. TBD (7:00 p.m., ESPN)

• Game 9: TBD vs. TBD (3:00 p.m., ABC)
• Game 10: TBD vs. TBD (7:00 p.m., ESPN2)

• Game 11: TBD vs. TBD (12:00 p.m., ESPN)
• Game 12 (if necessary): TBD vs. TBD (2:30 p.m., ESPN)
• Game 13: TBD vs. TBD (7:00 p.m., ESPN2)
• Game 14 (if necessary): (9:30 a.m., ESPN2)

• WCWS Final Game 1: TBD vs. TBD (8:00 p.m., ESPN)

• WCWS Final Game 2: TBD vs. TBD (8:00 p.m., ESPN)

• WCWS Final Game 3 (if necessary): TBD vs. TBD (8:00 p.m., ESPN)

The Oklahoma vs. Texas Rivalry Heats Up

The Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners have a long, storied rivalry that dates back decades and across multiple sports so it is no surprise that it would exist within the school's softball programs.

Texas is the No. 1 overall seed to Oklahoma's No. 2, but their season record against each other is even. Each team won two of their four match-ups. The Sooners, though outscored their opponents 12-7.

They also have home-field advantage, something Longhorns head coach Mike White took exception to.

"I'd love to see it rotate eventually, but probably not in my tenure as a coach," he told reporters. "We get it, but it is a huge advantage obviously for Oklahoma."

That Devon Park in Oklahoma City seats 13,000 fans makes it an ideal destination for fans of the sport, despite the obvious logistical advantage it provides the Sooners. Yet, as great as Oklahoma has been at home (24-4), they were even better on the road (13-2).

With the best win-loss record in the nation at 54-6, despite their No. 2 spot in the standings, the Sooners are a team that can believably tear through the WCWS and win the entire thing, regardless of where the games are held.

To suggest the location as a potential excuse for the Sooners beating the Longhorns, or any other team, to take the championship is weak. It does, though, drum up even more interest in the tournament and more importantly, puts the spotlight directly on a Red River Rivalry that even the most casual sports fans are aware of.

If it gets more eyes on one of the great tournaments in collegiate sports, good. If it intensifies the rivalry and results in greater play by the two best teams in the game? Great.

Otherwise, it was an odd comment from White about a tournament that has taken place in Oklahoma City since for the last 34 years.