The Pac-12 announced on Thursday a new conference softball tournament to begin in 2023.

Dubbed the Pac-12 Softball Championship, the teams will play once per day for four days. The eighth and ninth place teams will compete in a play-in game to advance to the single-elimination tournament among the eight remaining teams. The winner then receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The nine schools will rotate hosting duties each year.

“The Pac-12 could not be more excited to add a softball championship to its lineup of postseason events,” Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff said. “This new championship will offer student-athletes an amazing experience against top-notch competition, elevate the league’s softball brand in advance of the NCAA Tournament and provide fans the opportunity to celebrate the incredible success of Pac-12 softball with a marquee event on our campuses.”

The news comes around five months after the Pac-12 announced the creation of a similar tournament for baseball. Many around the industry felt the implementation of a Pac-12 tournament was overdue.

Last year, the Ducks lost in the first round of the Austin Regional. The postseason format will remain the same for this season, with no Pac-12 tournament and the teams going straight to regionals.

“The creation of the Pac-12 Softball Championship is significant in that it will boost the exposure of Pac-12 softball at a critical point in the season,” UCLA head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “This flagship event on our campuses will not only deliver a championship experience for student-athletes, but will also provide an exciting atmosphere in which fans can enjoy premier competition as Pac-12 programs vie for a conference title.”

Oregon kicks off the 2022 season Feb. 10 against Ole Miss in Fullerton, California.