NCAA softball is toast!

[texasheat]

This is an interesting conversation/debate, fueled by hope, fear, and uncertainty, but very little fact. No judgment...we are all just giving voice to our thoughts. What short or long term impact this will have remains to be seen, but I think we need to be prepared for some level of impact for the '21 college season. My daughter will be a senior, and her coach (very well funded D3 school) has told them that current discussions within the school/conference involve planning for shortened season (conference games only), no travel, etc. Nothing close to being finalized yet, obviously.

They're likely making Plan A,B,C,D,E and F's. I can't imagine the 2021 softball season being impacted by this biologically. I'm guessing these scenarios they are throwing around are financially motivated, hence less games and less travel. I could see that on the D3 level for sure.

 

[wheresmycar]

What’s funny about Mississippi State generating revenue in Softball? One of the most profitable baseball programs in the entire country lends to a lot of support in Softball as well, not to mention the entire athletic program that has actually operated in the black for most of the last decade. Another point you didn’t research in this thread

Mississippi State's new baseball stadium is amazing!

The Dude!





The softball stadium looks pretty nice too...

 

[riseball]

softball does generate revenue at some schools. it's not like lacrosse or rugby.

All softball programs generate revenue. You local High School softball team generates revenue. The question is do they generate enough revenue to cover their expenses?

 

[The Man In Blue]

What are the sources of revenue? I’m curious because you have two teams in that top 10 that were #55 and #99 the previous year. A large one-time donation or endowment really skews those numbers. (Or a large loan pay-out for a stadium.)

Regular revenue sources (year after year) are what give an accurate picture: ticket sales, concessions, advertising revenue, merchandise, camps, etc.

Also, the one article states those numbers are based on 2016-17, the last year the numbers were available. Why have they not been reported since 2016-2017? Edit: the chart is 16-17 vs. 17-18. That just leaves 2018-2019 which I can understand not being available yet.

 

[Bullseye]

The topic of no college sports sounds very extreme.
If there is any probabilty to this. Then include no college campus open at all.
Then the populous on the beach in Florida can keep partying.

 

[PDM]

Let's face it. Football, WITH FANS, isn't going to happen this year. Without those $, non rev women's sports like softball will be the first to go. Going forward, Softball will be club level in college. No scholarships and no recruiters. Our new reality.
What does this mean? Showcase and national tournaments will be a complete waste of money and "stay to play" is dead in the water.
Your club team is not going to be around next year so striving for HS state championships by competing year round with classmates, like football, will be the new norm.
This may be better in the long run because the club softball model was out of control, a money grab from top to bottom.

The only part of your post that I agree with is that club softball is a money grab from top to bottom, just like every other sport with a club system. College softball isn't going away. Title 9 will see to that.

 

[PDM]

It will be different for a few years but predicting the total demise of college softball is going a bit too far imo. Personally I wouldn't mind any sort of format change in club softball which reduces prices and makes it available to more kids in general.

Here's a thought. Stop paying those prices. As long as people are willing to pay, someone (many people) will be willing to keep charging more. Costs won't stop going up until people start saying no. No different than real estate, college tuition, and every other business known to man.

 

[Henry]

For every women's sport that is taken away and men's need to be taken away. Softball will be fine. You will see golf, tennis, lacrosse and maybe even soccer take a hit.

 

[PJR]

Let's face it. Football, WITH FANS, isn't going to happen this year. Without those $, non rev women's sports like softball will be the first to go. Going forward, Softball will be club level in college. No scholarships and no recruiters. Our new reality.
What does this mean? Showcase and national tournaments will be a complete waste of money and "stay to play" is dead in the water.
Your club team is not going to be around next year so striving for HS state championships by competing year round with classmates, like football, will be the new norm.
This may be better in the long run because the club softball model was out of control, a money grab from top to bottom.

First of all Softball is a Revenue producing sport at the Power 5 DI level. Third highest Revenue producing sport next to Football and men’s basketball. Will a shutdown of March Madness, WCWS, CWS and possible football have an effect on scholarship money? Yes it will. Budgets will be tight and money hard to come by. Saying softball will be a club sport is a little over the top. You are forgetting about Title IX. Not to mention the number of mid majors that do not have football. It will be a brave new world in recruiting but going back to a club sport in college will not happen at most schools. You are correct some travel clubs will die but it will not revert to high school being number one. What will most likely happen is what was already happening. 14u, 12u and 10u will be scaled back and be more local. 16u will be the age bracket that matters for recruiting and the top clubs will have more influence. Many stay to play and national events will be hurt but the good ones will only become more selective hence benefiting top clubs. Camps will become more important. Clubs that shut down will start again. Kids will play sports again and especially at the younger levels it will revert to more local play. . Was the club model out of control, probably, especially at the younger levels. Not sure why you love the high school so much and hate club ball so much. High Schools has as many problems as club softball, just different ones. Club ball has been great for my 14u. Didn’t really travel till she was 13u. Most of the kids who played with her over the years made high school varsity as Freshman those that didn’t are still fantastic players. It is better than playing local house league for sure. Is club ball a little out of control? Yes, but the alternative at 10u and 12u is atrocious.

 

[Johnreilly]

What’s funny about Mississippi State generating revenue in Softball? One of the most profitable baseball programs in the entire country lends to a lot of support in Softball as well, not to mention the entire athletic program that has actually operated in the black for most of the last decade. Another point you didn’t research in this thread

I'm just throwing shade at another SEC school, just because. Replace MS State with any other school.