There is a fine line between very good and elite. But that line makes all the difference between reaching the finals or not. When we had Tincher, if our offense was even average, we probably would’ve won it all. But our offense was atrocious. That ‘22 team with Keely and Emma as an unknown freshman at the time, coupled with all the star power at the plate, is the formula we want to replicate. If THAT team also had Cori, maybe we do win it all.

Maybe in a lab somewhere

If I have millions, I start sharing the wealth, which I totally want to do. If not, I really have to build a winning approach with pitching and hope that great position players want to build something special behind the girls in the circle.

Pitching - 35% 4 pitchers - top 2 get 60% of that... Offense/Defense - 45% 9 batters in lineup/8 fielders Backups/rest of roster-20% Rookie scale could throw off if you recruit a stud who doesnt immediately start

Your top 2 pitchers get $105k each? I like that for what it allows you to spread around through the team. It certainly avoids the “entitled superstar” problem that happens when 1 or 2 players get all the love and attention. I think, however, you get outbid over and over and are now just paying more for mediocrity.

If the arena pf softball grows to entail top 15+ programs with budgets in $2-3 million range, then you are likely going to be an average program, maybe able to make a nice run to regionals. 3 million means $1,050,000 for pitchers… If pitchers get 75%, then the rest of the roster would share $750,000 in the 3 million dollar scenario. That means you are not getting any cori mcmillans, bre pecks, lynch, or some of the ranked recruits. Yes, you need elite pitching to win big. However, you also need hitters when you face other elite pitchers. If you are going to face the equivalent of a canady, bahl, or pickens. And if your offense is weak, you still lose. Agree with you. In this age, we are going to need more $$$$

And if anyone is ever so fortunate to have a $3M softball NIL budget, after giving 75% to pitchers, that would still leave $37,500 for each of the remaining players. Maybe in the future when that kind of money is possible people will turn it down, but in the NOW, that’s more than Cori, Bre, and Jordan made combined!

But I think we’re a long way from seeing 15+ programs with $2-3M in annual NIL money (on top of salaries, scholarships, and other expenses). It just isn’t sustainable without HUGE donors or without a mandate to treat institutional NIL as Title IX equality mandate.