Will We Be Able to Fully Fund Baseball & Softball?

[Duckster]

When the time comes, will we be able to fully fund baseball and softball? Where it seems things are heading with the NCAA and paying players, eventually baseball and softball will be allowed to expand the number of total scholarships, full scholarships. Another potential separation of haves and have nots. Cajuns diamond sports need to be with the 'haves' but wonder what commitment that will take.

[Scott Malkinson]

When the time comes, will we be able to fully fund baseball and softball? Where it seems things are heading with the NCAA and paying players, eventually baseball and softball will be allowed to expand the number of total scholarships, full scholarships. Another potential separation of haves and have nots. Cajuns diamond sports need to be with the 'haves' but wonder what commitment that will take.

Cuts to other sports are the only way. The Marlin and Dez hire would make sense with this. We could slowly reduce spending in both sports with little resistance. We could reduce coaches' salaries without worrying about them getting plucked or leaving.

Honestly, I would be perfectly fine with that.

[Turbine]

Other than rooming (if its being financed) plus warm body class electricity, internet and perhaps a paying student being excluded, athletic scholarships don't cost the school an extra dime.

If they take an external online course, thats different.

Otherwise they could be at 35 with minimal cost.

TOPS makes the school money.

NIL and void is the only real concern.

[VObserver]

When the time comes, will we be able to fully fund baseball and softball? Where it seems things are heading with the NCAA and paying players, eventually baseball and softball will be allowed to expand the number of total scholarships, full scholarships. Another potential separation of haves and have nots. Cajuns diamond sports need to be with the 'haves' but wonder what commitment that will take.

If you think that paying players hasn't already arrived in baseball and softball, you haven't been paying attention. How do you think [softball] Liberty's ace landed at Oklahoma and Central Arkansas' ace is now at Alabama? Last year the Arkansas NIL group furnished a car to every girl on the softball roster [not just scholarship players].
I have been told by reliable sources that the Softball NIL cost to be truly competitive with the top tier of competition is in the neighborhood of $500,000/year. That number is not going down.

I have been warning all of our Baseball and Softball fans that the time was coming when both sports were going to become head count sports [1scholarship player=1 scholarship].
That is not here yet, but with NIL, it might just as well be.

[CajunNation]

We are nationally relevant in the Diamond sports. I think we do what is possible to keep that status. Keeping coaches like CMD in FB and his "spread the nil" philosophy seems to be just what we need. If we over spend NIL, the diamond sports seem to be the area to do it.

[ULvictory]

Well, we have our basketball coaches running around telling people we have no NIL money so it seems the process has already started.

[8675309]

Well, we have our basketball coaches running around telling people we have no NIL money so it seems the process has already started.

Football takes everything.

[CajunNation]

Let's say NIL takes over baseball too. What happens to minor league baseball? If universities will now compete with them on a level field, not many guys will choose the minors over college.

Could have unexpected consequences of MLB sending guys up way earlier.

[babysitter]

Football takes everything.

LOLOLOLOL. Oh, so that's the new excuse ? You go girl.

[8675309]

LOLOLOLOL. Oh, so that's the new excuse ? You go girl.

Wear the shoe!

[CajunVic]

Football takes everything.

where did you get that?

[cajun4life]

When the time comes, will we be able to fully fund baseball and softball? Where it seems things are heading with the NCAA and paying players, eventually baseball and softball will be allowed to expand the number of total scholarships, full scholarships. Another potential separation of haves and have nots. Cajuns diamond sports need to be with the 'haves' but wonder what commitment that will take.

The entire G5 should vote against moving baseball and softball to 35 scholarships unless football is reduced to 70 scholarships.