The third-annual Candrea Classic begins on Feb. 8 in Tucson, Arizona as teams from around the Southwest head to the the campus of the University of Arizona. 

That includes 2023 Big Sky Conference Tournament champion Northern Colorado and American Athletic Conference powerhouse North Texas.

• Subscribe To FloSoftball To Watch The 2024 Candrea Classic
• Oklahoma, Washington Open 2024 Season At Puerto Vallarta
• UCLA, Texas Compete At Mark Campbell Collegiate Invitational

The Mean Green and the Bears will square off on the final day of the Candrea Classic. 

The event is named after Mike Candrea, who coached the Wildcats from 1986 to 2021. He was the all-time winningest coach in college softball history with 1, 674 wins. He won eight national championships. 

Here’s what to know about the Candrea Classic. 

How To Watch The 2024 Candrea Classic

Watch the 2024 Candrea Classic on FloSoftball and the FloSports app.

FloSoftball will be streaming several NCAA Division I college softball tournaments, including the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, THE Spring Games and the Mark Campbell Collegiate Invitational.

2024 Candrea Classic Schedule

All times Eastern

*FloSoftball will not broadcast Arizona’s games in the Candrea Classic.

Thursday, Feb. 8:

• Arizona vs. Utah Tech at 6 p.m. ET*
• Arizona vs. Northern Colorado at 8 p.m. ET*

Friday, Feb. 9:

• Northern Colorado vs. Lipscomb at 11 a.m. ET
• Utah Tech vs. Northern Colorado at 1 p.m. ET
• North Texas vs. Utah Tech at 3 p.m. ET
• Arizona vs. Lipscomb at 6 p.m. ET*
• Arizona vs. North Texas at 8 p.m. ET*

Saturday, Feb. 10:

• Lipscomb vs. Utah Tech at 11 a.m. ET
• Northern Colorado vs. Lipscomb at 1 p.m. ET
• North Texas vs. Utah Tech at 3 p.m. ET
• Arizona vs. North Texas at 6 p.m. ET*

Sunday, Feb. 11:

• Lipscomb vs. North Texas at 10:30 a.m. ET
• Northern Colorado vs. North Texas at 12:30 p.m. ET
• Arizona vs. Northern Colorado at 3 p.m. ET*

Who Is Mike Candrea?

If you ask that question around anyone associated with Arizona softball, you may get some funny looks. That’s because to many, Candrea is Arizona softball and what it stands for. 

No coach in college softball history has led a program to more national championships than Candrea, whose Wildcats teams won it all at the Women’s College World Series eight times in 24 trips. 

Upon his retirement in 2021, Candrea was the winningest coach in college softball history with 1,674 victories (now-retired Michigan coach Carol Hutchins has since passed him) and twice coached the United States' national softball team at the Olympics, helping it win gold in Athens in 2004 and silver in Beijing in 2008. 

Now 68, Candrea recently was tabbed for a new challenge at Arizona; the school announced that athletic director Dave Heeke was out after seven years at the helm, with Candrea imminently taking over as interim AD—the first administrative role of his career.

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