Hopefully the Topeka product wants to stay local. I think she was unhappy about the way she was handled. Started every game past the regionals. Coach Spencer is a far better coach IMHO. She will be nearly unbeatable with Cals hitting behind her.
HoopDreams said:
I can see where the non- FB/BB sports are going
Teams that want to succeed in a sport will buy top players with big NIL dollars
This is already happening in some sports and will probably happen in all but a few sports soon
What a quaint idea. Money has driven the college sports bus pretty much for the last 75 years (and, to some extent, much longer). Of course, getting paid is not incompatible with love of the game but it generally does preempt love of one's alma mater. I don't have a problem with athletes getting paid. What I do find troubling are some of the ancillary effects such as: diverting resources to support professional sports when thousands of young people take on crushing debt to get a degree or that olympic sports are in jeopardy on many campuses.CalWSportsFan said:
In a way, what's the point? Is this really how college sports are going? Might as well have different divisions. NIL D1 and non-NIL D-1. It seems the SEC is becoming essentially a professional leagueβ¦licensing school colors and paying players. I'd rather watch college sports where student athletes are playing for the love of the game and in some cases, scholarships. Meanwhile why would any self-respecting woman want to attend college in a state where she has zero bodily autonomy?
I looked up Oklahoma's roster: 1 player from Oklahoma, 8 from California, 6 from Texas. California HS players populate the rosters of top programs all around the country as the SEC, especially, and other schools have money to throw at players and facilities. Cal struggles to get a new facility while other programs build fabulous stadiums. Pac-Ten/12 and other west coast schools dominated softball for years and kept their players home until these other schools started to pump money into their programs. The best overall HS softball is in California but many now go to the programs outside the footprint of the (former) Pac-12.SFCALBear72 said:
It would be a shame if she ended up at OU. You'd think she'd want to go to a team where she could make them immediately a contender for a championship rather than that "ho-hum" softball championship factory in Norman. Where's the fun in that?
Come to Berkeley, NiJaree!!
This has been going on for 20 years or more as the SEC, in particular, has poured $$$ into facilities, coaches and programs. And, of course, Patti Gasso emigrated from California to build the Oklahoma program. Cal had some momentum going after winning the Natty to improve facilities but it got bogged down in process (or was never funded) and here we are still stumbling over ourselves trying to get it done. Institutional apathy!Larno said:I looked up Oklahoma's roster: 1 player from Oklahoma, 8 from California, 6 from Texas. California HS players populate the rosters of top programs all around the country as the SEC, especially, and other schools have money to throw at players and facilities. Cal struggles to get a new facility while other programs build fabulous stadiums. Pac-Ten/12 and other west coast schools dominated softball for years and kept their players home until these other schools started to pump money into their programs. The best overall HS softball is in California but many now go to the programs outside the footprint of the (former) Pac-12.SFCALBear72 said:
It would be a shame if she ended up at OU. You'd think she'd want to go to a team where she could make them immediately a contender for a championship rather than that "ho-hum" softball championship factory in Norman. Where's the fun in that?
Come to Berkeley, NiJaree!!
Filed to @D1Softball: Becca Mueller is the new head coach at Georgia State. She spent the 2024 season at UCF and revitalized the Cal offense in 2023.https://t.co/6MQ25JMBj5
— Justin McLeod (@justfactsmaam) June 20, 2024
Same. All about the $$$... Article said seven figures annually...CalFanatic said:
This whole thing is absurd. I'm actively rooting against her at Texas Tech.
Can't blame her. My guess she will stay as long as possible in college, maybe 2 or 3 more years. She will make more money now than in her future professional softball career. Surprise it was TexasTech though, a big 12 team?kc1121 said:Same. All about the $$$... Article said seven figures annually...CalFanatic said:
This whole thing is absurd. I'm actively rooting against her at Texas Tech.
Looks like they loaded up this summer plus new coach, but we'll see....Ccajon2 said:
TT hasn't done s*** in softball they're only 700 and 734 all time they've never won a big 12 title always middle of the pack and they've never won a national championship obviously. They didn't play softball between 1985 and 1996. They did hit .311 as a team last year with 60 homers so they do have some offense but their number one starter last year was 11 and 10 with a 5.65 era. Candy will win all of her games but they're not going to move up and be in a national semi finalist or anything like that with her.
Ccajon2 said:
TT hasn't done s*** in softball they're only 700 and 734 all time they've never won a big 12 title always middle of the pack and they've never won a national championship obviously. They didn't play softball between 1985 and 1996. They did hit .311 as a team last year with 60 homers so they do have some offense but their number one starter last year was 11 and 10 with a 5.65 era. Candy will win all of her games but they're not going to move up and be in a national semi finalist or anything like that with her.
CalFanatic said:
This whole thing is absurd. I'm actively rooting against her at Texas Tech.
π¨π₯PORTAL UPDATEπ₯π¨
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Haley Rainey, Cal State Fullerton
π2024 All-Big West First Team
π2024 Big West Pitcher of the Year
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π2023 All-Big West Second Team pic.twitter.com/q7eOMVXEns