Good morning, and thanks for spending part of your day with Extra Points.

We’ve been experimenting with some ways to more effectively turn all the data we have sitting around the Extra Points Library into analysis that a reporter, AD, coach or researcher could easily use.

In that spirit, we’re happy to share some data we’ve crunched specifically about the finances around Division I softball. While the full report is published below, Extra Points Library subscribers can also access it here.

Below, we’ll share what we’ve learned about national spending trends, the relationship between particular spending and on-field success, where spending is increasing, what national budget distributions look like, and more. Our editor, Joan Niesen, contributed heavily to this report.

Executive Summary

Key metrics across all D-I softball programs reporting financial data in FY2024-25

  • Across D-I, softball programs reported a roughly $600,000 delta between revenue and expenses in FY2024-25, spending far more than they brought in.

  • Programs collectively spent $313.8 million, with a median program budget of $1.1 million.

  • Coaching salaries were the largest expense category, with a median of $295,000 per program. This includes spending on assistant coach salaries as well.

  • Year-over-year aggregate spending increased by 5 percent relative to FY2023-24.

  • Recruiting showed a negative correlation with RPI rank (r = −0.602), suggesting programs that invested more in recruiting tended to perform better on the field.

Spending Landscape

Aggregate and per-program spending, plus spending breakdowns

  • The median D-I softball program spent $1,103,238 in FY2024-25, with the middle 50 percent of programs falling between $816,832 and $1,879,992.

  • Oklahoma was the highest-spending program, at $7,724,358 — seven times the D-I median.

  • The D-I median coaching staff spend (head coach + assistants) was $294,984, with the SEC posting the highest conference median, at $1,054,853.

  • Recruiting budgets ranged from $28 (Southern … and look, that’s the number the school put on its report, don’t yell at us) to $183,266 (Oklahoma), with a D-I median of $21,320.

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