NASHVILLE — The National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced the schedule for the 2027 NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic presented by MaxBP, with Tennessee State set for five games against a national field Feb. 11-14 at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Florida.
The Tigers will open tournament play Friday, Feb. 12, with a pair of contests against Bethune-Cookman and Indiana. TSU will return Saturday for matchups with NC State and Jacksonville State before concluding its weekend Sunday against Notre Dame.
All five Tennessee State games are scheduled for Field 2.
Tennessee State Schedule
Friday, Feb. 12
10 a.m. — at Bethune-Cookman — Away
1 p.m. — vs. Indiana — Home
Saturday, Feb. 13
11 a.m. — at NC State — Away
5 p.m. — vs. Jacksonville State — Home
Sunday, Feb. 14
10 a.m. — at Notre Dame — Away
All times Eastern.
TSU will serve as the home team against Indiana and Jacksonville State and as the visiting team against Bethune-Cookman, NC State and Notre Dame. The home team will occupy the third-base dugout.
Loaded Field Heads to Clearwater
Tennessee State will compete alongside some of the nation's most recognizable programs during the four-day event. The field includes Tennessee, Auburn, Texas Tech, Nebraska, Northwestern, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech, NC State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Indiana and North Carolina, among others.
Defending tournament champion Tennessee will return to Clearwater after capturing the 2026 NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic title.
For Tennessee State, the tournament provides five early-season matchups against teams representing five conferences. The Tigers will meet Bethune-Cookman of the SWAC, Indiana of the Big Ten, NC State and Notre Dame of the ACC and Jacksonville State of Conference USA.
$100,000 'Elevate the Game' Incentive
The 2027 Leadoff Classic will feature the NFCA's new "Elevate the Game Incentive", a $100,000 program designed to reward tournament performance, statistical achievement, program character and leadership.
All participating teams are eligible to earn incentive allocations regardless of conference affiliation or 2026 performance. The NFCA says allocations will be awarded to programs to help further its mission of "elevating the game" within individual programs.
The tournament champion will receive the largest share at $50,000. The champion will first be determined by overall record across tournament play, with head-to-head competition, run differential, fewest runs allowed and most runs scored serving as tiebreaking criteria. If two teams remain tied after all criteria are exhausted, they will be declared co-champions and split the championship allocation, receiving $25,000 each.
An additional $40,000 will be distributed through the NFCA's "Innovate" awards. Programs leading the tournament in home runs per game, stolen bases per game, strikeouts per game and fewest runs allowed per game will each receive $10,000.
The remaining $10,000 will be divided between two awards. The $5,000 "Inspire" Award will recognize the team that best embodies sportsmanship, integrity and the NFCA's mission, while the $5,000 "Coach" Award will recognize outstanding coaching performance, strategic execution and overall team leadership. Both will be selected by head coaches, umpires and credentialed media members at the tournament.
How to Watch
Every game of the 2027 NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic will be streamed live on GameChanger.
Three games from the tournament will also be televised on MLB Network, with those matchups to be announced at a later date.
The four-day event begins Thursday, Feb. 11, and continues through Sunday, Feb. 14. Tennessee State begins its five-game slate Friday at 10 a.m. ET against Bethune-Cookman.
Additional information surrounding the 2027 NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic will be announced as it becomes available.
