NCAA Revenue Sharing – Softball Teams

Estimated 2025-26 Revenue Sharing – Softball 

Under the proposed settlement in House V NCAA, schools will be able to share revenue with their athletes not to exceed the lesser of 22% of their annual athletic revenues or $ 21 million per year. We analyzed the most recent NCAA financial reporting from several NCAA I public universities and arrived at some estimates for softball team revenue sharing scheduled to begin in the 2025-26 season:

Estimated Revenue
Sharing - Softball
ConferenceSoftball Team
Revenue Share
# of
Players
Average
per player
Revenue %
Softball
Total Revenue
Sharing 2025
Total 2023
Revenue *
Oregon Big Ten 195,186 20 9,759 0.9% 21,000,000 109,439,421
Washington Big Ten 173,462 18 9,637 0.7% 21,000,000 98,468,704
MissouriSEC154,638256,1860.8%19,418,45588,265,705
TennesseeSEC 149,769 25 5,991 0.7% 21,000,000 134,277,934
ArkansasSEC 105,068 25 4,203 0.5% 21,000,000 132,103,766
Iowa State Big-12 94,003 25 3,760 0.5% 18,365,450 83,479,317
Texas Tech Big-12 83,822 25 3,353 0.5% 18,258,244 82,992,017
UtahBig-12 83,261 25 3,330 0.5% 16,049,837 72,953,805
MississippiSEC 80,498 25 3,220 0.3% 21,000,000 101,643,972
Louisiana State SEC 63,661 24 2,653 0.3% 21,000,000 138,574,324
Penn State Big Ten 49,161 21 2,341 0.2% 21,000,000 152,551,993
Illinois Big Ten 34,502 25 1,380 0.2% 21,000,000 99,358,957
WisconsinBig Ten 34,009 25 1,360 0.2% 21,000,000 137,164,382
MinnesotaBig Ten 33,343 19 1,755 0.2% 21,000,000 113,102,807
Ohio State Big Ten 30,714 24 1,280 0.1% 21,000,000 215,167,642
GeorgiaSEC 24,401 24 1,017 0.1% 21,000,000 125,667,798
North DakotaMVC 21,516 23 935 0.9% 2,472,797 11,239,985
Colorado State MW 14,442 22 656 0.3% 5,117,008 23,259,125
Appalachian State SBC 5,391 25 216 0.1% 3,626,477 16,483,988
Georgia SouthernSBC 2,633 22 120 0.1% 2,095,770 9,526,227
Tennessee Tech OVC 1,327 21 63 0.1% 721,811 3,280,961
LouisvilleACC 1,088 19 57 0.0% 21,000,000 111,396,762
P5 School Average1781,799233,6050.4%20,299,529117,447,606

Estimated revenue sharing is allocated per team based on the percentage of that team’s revenues to revenue from all sports as reported in the school’s most recent (2023) NCAA financial reporting. A significant variable here is athletic department revenue not allocated to a specific team.  Based on the NCAA reports this can be anywhere from 6% to 37% of school athletic department revenue. Our estimates assume this non-specific revenue will be allocated in the same proportion as the team’s revenue percentage to all sports.

These are averages per athlete. In actuality, a few players per team will receive substantially higher than the average, while many will get much less. For players who see little if any playing time, their revenue share will also likely be little or none.

Football and Men’s basketball account for close to 95% of all specific team allocated revenues at Power Conference schools, and athletes in these two sports will be the major beneficiaries of revenue sharing. Consequently, revenue sharing available to athletes in virtually all other sports will be minimal to modest at most schools. The NCAA and its member schools are well aware of this disparity and have consequently proposed to significantly increase the number of potential scholarships available to NCAA athletes.

For softball, the proposal is to increase the maximum number of athletic scholarships from 12 to 25 per team – this will also represent the limit of players on an NCAA I softball roster.  So in theory, all 25 players could receive a full scholarship. However, scholarships awards are optional – a school can fully fund a sport, or make awards less than the maximum allowed. 

* Computed Athletic Department revenue includes event tickets and admission fees, game guarantees, TV, media, licensing, advertising, sponsorships and royalty rights, bowl game, NCAA and conference distributions and all related revenues. Revenue does not include direct or indirect school support, student fees or unrecompensed (i.e. charitable) contributions to the athletic department from alumni and boosters.


Additions or Changes? Contact us at: [email protected]
 

Statistics compiled & edited by Patrick O’Rourke, CPA Washington, DC