I understand softball doesn't generate money for the athletic program, but why wouldn't a school aggressively pay the best pitcher in the country since they can basically pitch and dominate 90% of the games played? A good example is us this year.

Because most people don't give a **** about softball. Anyone can pony up for NIL if they have the funds.

powerbelly said:

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Because most people don't give a **** about softball. Anyone can pony up for NIL if they have the funds.

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Just a guess, but how much NIL does the best softball pitcher make??? $2000? Offer the best pitcher 10k and have a top program.

This is kind of a genius idea.

Belton Ag said:

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Lake08 said:

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powerbelly said:

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Because most people don't give a **** about softball. Anyone can pony up for NIL if they have the funds.

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Just a guess, but how much NIL does the best softball pitcher make??? $2000? Offer the best pitcher 10k and have a top program.

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It depends on the school. This is way under what a championship level pitcher will bring for Oklahoma. I've heard the numbers can get into the 6 figures for them.

Oklahoma's program is funded by the Love family of Love's Truckstop fame. They've basically made that program into a vanity project and are getting great results.

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Doesn't an Aggie own Buc-ee's? What's the hold up?

Belton Ag said:

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Lake08 said:

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powerbelly said:

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Because most people don't give a **** about softball. Anyone can pony up for NIL if they have the funds.

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Just a guess, but how much NIL does the best softball pitcher make??? $2000? Offer the best pitcher 10k and have a top program.

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It depends on the school. This is way under what a championship level pitcher will bring for Oklahoma. I've heard the numbers can get into the 6 figures for them.

Oklahoma's program is funded by the Love family of Love's Truckstop fame. They've basically made that program into a vanity project and are getting great results.

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The Loves family didn't really get involved with OU softball until a couple of years ago when OU was looking for large donations to get the new softball complex off the ground.

sharpdressedman said:

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The best players are very often for sale to the highest bidder from year to year. Teams that are not in the top tier of competition, because they don't have or want to spend big dollars or cannot otherwise attract top talent, will remain non-contenders. Recruiting and retaining elite players has evolved to an auction market.

Legal arguments aside, NIL and unlimited free agency for players is wrecking college sports. JMO

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Totally agree!

powerbelly said:

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Because most people don't give a **** about softball. Anyone can pony up for NIL if they have the funds.

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Softball also doesn't generate enough money to pay for itself either. It varies from school to school but I believe men's basketball pays for itself but all other sports are covered by the football revenue.

20aggie26 said:

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powerbelly said:

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Because most people don't give a **** about softball. Anyone can pony up for NIL if they have the funds.

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Softball also doesn't generate enough money to pay for itself either. It varies from school to school but I believe men's basketball pays for itself but all other sports are covered by the football revenue.

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Alberts said Volleyball at Nebraska nets $1 million. If they can generate positive cash flow for volleyball, then a lot of sports could potentially come close to break even.

Also NCAA signed a big fat contract for women's basketball tourney. That could really help a lot of teams that are regulars in the post season.

BiochemAg97 said:

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20aggie26 said:

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powerbelly said:

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Because most people don't give a **** about softball. Anyone can pony up for NIL if they have the funds.

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Softball also doesn't generate enough money to pay for itself either. It varies from school to school but I believe men's basketball pays for itself but all other sports are covered by the football revenue.

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Alberts said Volleyball at Nebraska nets $1 million. If they can generate positive cash flow for volleyball, then a lot of sports could potentially come close to break even.

Also NCAA signed a big fat contract for women's basketball tourney. That could really help a lot of teams that are regulars in the post season.

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It differs at each university. Football obviously carries most sports at Texas A&M.

https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/texas-a-and-m-university-college-station/student-life/sports/

The 22-player women's softball team at Texas A&M College Station is kept in shape by one head coach and 3 assistant coaches. Teammates care for more than softball, too. Their great academic progress rate of 991 is a sign that they spend ample time on their studies as well.
In terms of financials, the Texas A&M College Station women's softball program paid out $3,159,736 in expenses and made $844,235 in total revenue. This is a bit of a downer since it means that the program lost money, $-2,315,501 to be exact.

20aggie26 said:

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BiochemAg97 said:

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20aggie26 said:

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powerbelly said:

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Because most people don't give a **** about softball. Anyone can pony up for NIL if they have the funds.

---

Softball also doesn't generate enough money to pay for itself either. It varies from school to school but I believe men's basketball pays for itself but all other sports are covered by the football revenue.

---

Alberts said Volleyball at Nebraska nets $1 million. If they can generate positive cash flow for volleyball, then a lot of sports could potentially come close to break even.

Also NCAA signed a big fat contract for women's basketball tourney. That could really help a lot of teams that are regulars in the post season.

---

It differs at each university. Football obviously carries most sports at Texas A&M.

https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/texas-a-and-m-university-college-station/student-life/sports/

The 22-player women's softball team at Texas A&M College Station is kept in shape by one head coach and 3 assistant coaches. Teammates care for more than softball, too. Their great academic progress rate of 991 is a sign that they spend ample time on their studies as well.
In terms of financials, the Texas A&M College Station women's softball program paid out $3,159,736 in expenses and made $844,235 in total revenue. This is a bit of a downer since it means that the program lost money, $-2,315,501 to be exact.

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Got some ground to make up for sure. Build a fan base and win (regular in the softball CWS), and start to close that gap. With a bigger following, sell more tickets and get more sponsors, close that gap some more.

I don't expect every sport to pay their way, but if every sport increases their revenue, it will close any gaps and grow the pie. But it all starts with winning consistently.

Throwing money at a pitcher in softball or baseball doesnt guarantee success. Look at Jordy Bahl. Won a national championship at OU last season. Transferred to Nebraska. Everyone thought that would make Nebraska a contender. Torn ACL and she is out for the year. And like coach Schloss says about the SEC. Every team you play has equal or better talent.

South Carolina paid out to get a transfer pitcher from Stanford. We swept them a couple weeks ago and gave her two of her four losses on the season.

In some instances, there is a very unsettling sentiment that one can just throw some chump change at an individual and that they'd be willing to uproot their life choices. We're not talking cattle and very few people are willing to base major life decisions based on the highest bidder even if that bid results in as little as a few Starbucks purchases and a Netflix subscription.

If someone offered me $5k a year to go to Texas when I was in school (roughly equivalent of 10K today?), I would have said no. And all I did was study accounting. Its remarkable how little people think of others.

BiochemAg97 said:

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20aggie26 said:

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BiochemAg97 said:

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20aggie26 said:

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powerbelly said:

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Because most people don't give a **** about softball. Anyone can pony up for NIL if they have the funds.

---

Softball also doesn't generate enough money to pay for itself either. It varies from school to school but I believe men's basketball pays for itself but all other sports are covered by the football revenue.

---

Alberts said Volleyball at Nebraska nets $1 million. If they can generate positive cash flow for volleyball, then a lot of sports could potentially come close to break even.

Also NCAA signed a big fat contract for women's basketball tourney. That could really help a lot of teams that are regulars in the post season.

---

It differs at each university. Football obviously carries most sports at Texas A&M.

https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/texas-a-and-m-university-college-station/student-life/sports/

The 22-player women's softball team at Texas A&M College Station is kept in shape by one head coach and 3 assistant coaches. Teammates care for more than softball, too. Their great academic progress rate of 991 is a sign that they spend ample time on their studies as well.
In terms of financials, the Texas A&M College Station women's softball program paid out $3,159,736 in expenses and made $844,235 in total revenue. This is a bit of a downer since it means that the program lost money, $-2,315,501 to be exact.

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Got some ground to make up for sure. Build a fan base and win (regular in the softball CWS), and start to close that gap. With a bigger following, sell more tickets and get more sponsors, close that gap some more.

I don't expect every sport to pay their way, but if every sport increases their revenue, it will close any gaps and grow the pie. But it all starts with winning consistently.

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It's not just softball, look at other sports at A&M and what they cost. They are mostly all in the red. Here is what it costs the university for each student athlete. It was $10.9 million in 2016-17. And each year it goes up.

https://12thmanfoundation.com/assets/pdf/cost-of-athletics/funding-student-athlete-scholarships.pdf

I am not for the NIL at all. I fear these kids that are getting it probably don't even know they have to pay taxes on the money. You have to claim the scholarship money each year on taxes too. Throwing money at athletes like that is just setting them up for financial failure. They are going to blow it and not know how to manage money at all. Just bad all the way around.

We encouraged our kid to donate back to A&M because she was fortunate to go there on scholarship and earn her degree. Anything former athletes give back to their school is better than nothing.

Agsncws said:

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In some instances, there is a very unsettling sentiment that one can just throw some chump change at an individual and that they'd be willing to uproot their life choices. We're not talking cattle and very few people are willing to base major life decisions based on the highest bidder even if that bid results in as little as a few Starbucks purchases and a Netflix subscription.

If someone offered me $5k a year to go to Texas when I was in school (roughly equivalent of 10K today?), I would have said no. And all I did was study accounting. Its remarkable how little people think of others.

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What if it was $100k? Or $300k?

Some of the scholarship money is taxable and some isn't. Either way, these kids should be able to make money for their skills.

Hopefully schools are at least giving the kids information about the taxes they will owe as part of these deals.

20aggie26 said:

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BiochemAg97 said:

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20aggie26 said:

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BiochemAg97 said:

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20aggie26 said:

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powerbelly said:

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Because most people don't give a **** about softball. Anyone can pony up for NIL if they have the funds.

---

Softball also doesn't generate enough money to pay for itself either. It varies from school to school but I believe men's basketball pays for itself but all other sports are covered by the football revenue.

---

Alberts said Volleyball at Nebraska nets $1 million. If they can generate positive cash flow for volleyball, then a lot of sports could potentially come close to break even.

Also NCAA signed a big fat contract for women's basketball tourney. That could really help a lot of teams that are regulars in the post season.

---

It differs at each university. Football obviously carries most sports at Texas A&M.

https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/texas-a-and-m-university-college-station/student-life/sports/

The 22-player women's softball team at Texas A&M College Station is kept in shape by one head coach and 3 assistant coaches. Teammates care for more than softball, too. Their great academic progress rate of 991 is a sign that they spend ample time on their studies as well.
In terms of financials, the Texas A&M College Station women's softball program paid out $3,159,736 in expenses and made $844,235 in total revenue. This is a bit of a downer since it means that the program lost money, $-2,315,501 to be exact.

---

Got some ground to make up for sure. Build a fan base and win (regular in the softball CWS), and start to close that gap. With a bigger following, sell more tickets and get more sponsors, close that gap some more.

I don't expect every sport to pay their way, but if every sport increases their revenue, it will close any gaps and grow the pie. But it all starts with winning consistently.

---

It's not just softball, look at other sports at A&M and what they cost. They are mostly all in the red. Here is what it costs the university for each student athlete.

https://12thmanfoundation.com/assets/pdf/cost-of-athletics/funding-student-athlete-scholarships.pdf

I am not for the NIL at all. I fear these kids that are getting it probably don't even know they have to pay taxes on the money. You have to claim the scholarship money each year on taxes too. Throwing money at athletes like that is just setting them up for financial failure. They are going to blow it and not know how to manage money at all. Just bad all the way around.

We encouraged our kid to donate back to A&M because she was fortunate to go there on scholarship and get her degree. Anything former athletes give back to their school is better than nothing.

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IIRC, student athlete scholarships are not taxable, which is different than everyone else who has to report their scholarships on taxes. I expect that won't last much longer, either by making them employees, or revenue sharing, or Congress getting involved in NIL.

As I understand it, A&Ms collective (and I assume most others) were structuring their payments in such a way that they get a big paycheck in March/April so they can pay the tax bill. Also, pretty sure the NIL tools provided to student athletes all provide education on the tax consequences. I'm sure there will be some that make a mess of things and get a bunch of NIL deals outside of a collective and then don't save the money for taxes, but their hands are being held for the most part.

I do think that they push to employee/revenue share will end up surprising the student athletes and not in a good way. Getting a paycheck with taxes withheld and then having to pay your tuition bill is a lot different than just collecting your monthly stipend check and everything else being paid for.