The Big 12 Conference has announced it will reinstate its softball championship beginning with the 2017 season. Last held in 2010, the postseason tournament will return to Oklahoma City in a two-day event, May 12-13. The Oklahoma City All Sports Association will partner with the Conference to host the championship.

The championship will include pool play for the top six teams and will be contested at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium Complex, site of the conference’s previous 15 championships and also home to the NCAA Women’s College World Series.

“The Big 12 is looking forward to bringing another competitive conference championship to a city that has an established history for Big 12 postseason events and is also a strong market for the sport of softball,” Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said. “We are excited to showcase the student-athletes and level of play in our conference as well as enhance the Big 12 softball brand.”

Tthe 1996-97 academic year was technically the inaugural season of the Big 12. Softball was the first conference championship for the league. Oklahoma claimed the crown. Of the current league membership, OU and Texas have won the postseason title four times each, while Kansas University won the championship in 2006.

Seven conference members sponsor softball — Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech.