Washington Husky softball on ‘pedestal’ with House settlement money

When it's time to talk money, college football and basketball are always first to the negotiations.

This time, Washington softball has a seat at the table.

Athletic programs can share up to $20.5 million in revenue with their student-athletes this school year, per the approved House settlement last month.

Washington athletics is committed to sharing the full amount, dividing the majority of the millions among five teams: football, mens and womens basketball, volleyball and softball, according to athletic director Pat Chun .

UWs inclusion of softball in the distribution of revenue money further validates the Husky softball program, beyond the long history of success that the team has generated.

Not every conference and school are going to put softball on that pedestal, UW softball coach Heather Tarr said.

Pat Chun and our administration have done that for us, and its huge.

Its a big step.

Other successful softball programs will not have that same luxury.

The reigning World Series champion, Texas, was not specified in its athletic department's revenue sharing distribution, according to a report from the Houston Chronicle .

World Series runner up, Texas Tech, was also not specified, according to a report from the Lubbock Avalanche Journal .

Although Husky softball does not generate even a fraction of the revenue that football or basketball brings in for Washington athletics with Chun ascribing 95% of the departments revenue to football contracts and ticket sales, the softball program is long-considered a powerhouse and, now unmistakably, respected as such.

Husky softball has qualified for the NCAA tournament 31 consecutive years , tying Oklahoma for the longest active streak in the nation.

They have made 15 appearances in the Womens College World Series, winning the national title in 2009.

Tarr, a Kirkland native and UW softball grad herself, is the winningest coach of any sport in Washington history with an 855-332-1 record across 21 years.

The program rests on a principle of postseason excellence called Husky Fever, which infielder and Big Ten Freshman of the Year Alexis DeBoer defines as knowing the history of Husky softball and knowing what it takes to be a Husky ...

[meaning] working as a group.

Although the specific percentages of the revenue shares distribution are undisclosed, Tarr suggested that her programs cut will be small.

[Softball] doesnt get what football is obviously going to get [in revenue share], sadly, Tarr said.

Its not getting what womens and mens basketball are getting, [which] are in the millions.

We have a small amount of support, but the fact that the university saw in softball the potential to generate revenue, thats a big thing.

"There are a lot of other sports that didnt have that opportunity whether it be at our school or other schools, so we feel very supported by that.

It may not just be the legacy of Tarrs program that prompted its inclusion in the money pot.

It could also have something to do with the recent shift in perspective on a softball players value.

Before the College World Series championship game and before the House settlement passed, Texas Tech ace pitcher NiJaree Canady signed a seven-figure name, image and likeness (NIL) contract with the colleges collective, her second million-dollar deal with the Matador Club.

[Texas Tech] literally upped the market for what a softball athlete could get, so that is really cool for our sport, Tarr added about Canady, the first $1 million softball player.

And its not been done like that.

People treat football like that, but to do that for softball, whoever is behind that, good on them.

There is also a new professional womens softball league that is gaining traction nationwide.

The Athletes Unlimited Softball League played three sold-out games at Husky Softball Stadium earlier this month.

When we heard about it, we thought it was a super cool thing that softball is being given that opportunity, junior infielder Giselle Alvarez said about her teams inclusion in the revenue sharing.

The sport is also just growing, so being able to play now in our world and having a little bit of light shined on our sport is really fun, and I just cant wait to see how it continues to grow..

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