Seven schools having non-losing records and RPIs in the top 100 entered the tournament with "National RPI" bids.
The inaugural National Invitational Softball Championship finals were played May 21–24, 2017 at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
In the second Finals game, Lamar scored four runs in the top half of the sixth inning to take a 5–3 lead.
Lamar's four runs were negated, and Liberty was declared the winner of the deciding game, 3–1, giving the Flames the inaugural NISC tournament.
As soon as the decision was announced, softball fans around the country and officials of Lamar's Southland Conference were irate.