Some interesting numbers .

This makes sense to me ! I could not find any time line for NCAA review.




Division I proposal for added scholarships
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HCC Proposal — Additional Scholarships for Division I Softball

Proposal: To recommend to the NCAA that two additional scholarships be added for Division I women’s softball, increasing the number from 12 to 14 equivalencies.

Rationale: Softball has not had a scholarship increase since 1996 when the NCAA Council’s Committee on Financial Aid and Amateurism recommended that the limit be increased from 11 to 12. In the last dozen years, softball has continued to grow, both in the number of institutions that sponsor the sport and the average squad size:

Division I Sponsorship Percentage Average Squad Size
1995-96 204 of 306 NCAA institutions 66.7% 17.8 (3,631 athletes)
2005-06 267 of 327 NCAA institutions 81.7% 19.0 (5,082 athletes)

The NCAA has acknowledged this growth by expanding the NCAA Division I Women’s Softball Championship from an original 16 teams in 1982 to the current field of 64.

Currently, softball is the fourth most popular team sport for women in NCAA Division I. But, it, along with women’s soccer, are well behind the other two most popular team sports in making available an adequate percentage of financial aid for the number of female student-athletes:

Scholarship Number Average Squad Size Scholarship Percentage
W Basketball 15 (head count) 15 100%
W Volleyball 12 (head count) 14.5 83%
W Soccer 14 (equivalency) 25.3 55%
Softball 12 (equivalency) 19 63%

Further, a scholarship increase in softball is warranted because of the number of players it takes to field a team for games and practices. For example, women’s basketball has almost three times the number of scholarships available (15) compared to the number of starters (5). In contrast, softball total scholarships correlate to much less (12 scholarships and 10 starters).
(Number of Starters) (Average Squad Size) Scholarships
W Basketball 5 ------- 15 ------- 15
W Volleyball 7-------- 14.5 ----- 12
W Soccer 11--------- 25.3------ 14
Softball 10 ---------- 19-------- 12
This scholarship increase is necessary to ensure that the current growth in high school softball is translated into commensurate opportunities at the Division I level. Since 1982, the growth in softball participation rates at the high school level has been remarkable: In 1982 7,569 high schools sponsored fastpitch. In 1996, the year that one Division I scholarship was added, there were 11,452 high schools that sponsored the sport. By 2006, that number had continued to increase with 14,710 schools sponsoring the sport. Unfortunately, the number of available scholarships has not kept pace with this growth in interest and participation.

An increase in scholarships in softball would help Division I institutions achieve gender equity and comply with Title IX. It would also be good for the game of softball as it would help further increase participation.

Submitted by the NFCA Division I Head Coaches Committee.

Posted by Georgia Scout on GFMB on 4/3/08