As posted by others, the graduate school is far more important than the undergrad school. Playing softball for 4 years won't be a factor as long as they can get into a strong graduate program and do some related internships in the offseason. With graduate school being key for many majors/careers, you shouldn't overspend on the undergrad.... Could've gone to Yale, but chose to attend the University of Georgia and play tennis for a nationally prominent program. Was a 4-time All-American. Graduated summa cum laude, SEC scholar athlete of the year. Then went to Harvard Business School. Now one of the top investment advisers in the country. Yes, Yale tops UGA or Arizona, but if you're academically that brilliant, would it really hurt you much to spend 4 years playing softball at Arizona and then taking your academics to the next level after that? I don't know the answer. Maybe so...