PRINCETON, N.J. – Following a thrilling 2025 Ivy League softball season that culminated with Princeton capturing a fourth consecutive league title, the Tigers were selected as the preseason favorite in the 2026 Ivy League Softball Preseason Poll.
 
Princeton received 14 of a possible 16 first-place votes, totaling 126 points to claim the top spot in the poll. The Tigers return five of their six First Team All-Ivy honorees from last season, including reigning Pitcher of the Year Brielle Wright, who led the league with a 1.56 ERA during conference play.
 
Harvard was the only other program to earn first-place votes, collecting two and finishing second overall with 110 points. The Crimson have earned a share of the title twice in the last three seasons.  
 
Columbia (85 points) was picked third, followed by defending tournament champion Brown (76) in fourth. The Bears won the tournament as the No. 4 seed to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history and the first since 1997. Dartmouth (71) rounds out the top five, while Yale (48), Cornell (44), and Penn (16) complete the preseason poll.
 
League play begins March 21. The 2026 Ivy League Softball Tournament will once again feature the top four teams in the regular season standings, with the No. 1 seed hosting the double-elimination tournament May 7-9. Since the tournament launched in 2023, three different programs have claimed the tournament crown.   
 
Six Ivy programs open the 2026 season this weekend.

2026 Ivy League Preseason Softball Poll (First Place Votes)
1. Princeton — 126 (14)
2. Harvard — 110 (2)
3. Columbia — 85
4. Brown — 76
5. Dartmouth — 71
6. Yale — 48
7. Cornell — 44
8. Penn — 16