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We wrap up our list of the Top 15 Softball Stories of 2021—which began on December 17th and concludes today (December 31)—with our No. 1 story of the year.
Here are the previous stories (clink on link to read):
- #15… Ty’Liyah Hardeman Foregoes Playing for Bethune Cookman to Support Family after Mom Dies, Now at Kennesaw State
- #14… Dakota Wagner Promotes Tourette Syndrome Awareness Through Her Successes On & Off the Field
- #13… Sara Goodrum, the Trailblazing Former Oregon Duck Softball Player, Makes History in the MLB Ranks
- #12… USA U-18 Team Goes Undefeated in International Play This Fall (& Valerie Cagle Leads the Way!)
- #11… Women’s College World Series Expands & Explodes in TV Rankings Thanks to Great Teams, Games & Storylines
- #10… James Madison’s Cinderella Run & Odicci Alexander Wears the Slipper
- #9… Avery Flatford Signs with Tennessee Tech… While Dealing with Cystic Fibrosis
- #8… The Pro League Status in Softball, Ongoing Developments Both Good & Bad
- #7… College Coaching Legends Retire
- #6… Oklahoma Sooner Domination, Team-Wise & Individually
- #5… The Transfer Portal
- #4… COVID’s Impact Continues
- #3… The NIL Factor (& Montana Fouts Popularity)
- #2… The Olympics Return (But with a Twist)
Also, on Saturday (New Year’s Day), we’ll list all 15 of the top Stories of the Year as well as run 15 more that were considered so you won’t want to miss that.
How did we decide which ones made the list? We surveyed the softball community and talked internally as well to come up with what we felt were the most impactful and relevant stories of the year pertaining to the world of fastpitch softball.
Where applicable, we are providing the text to the original articles and/or references when the story first happened.
- Click Here to see the Top 15 Stories of 2020
- Click Here to see the Top 15 Stories of 2019
- Click Here to see the Top 15 Stories of 2018
To provide comments, insights or thoughts, email: [email protected].
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Today’s Story of the Year: #1
College Conference Realignments… Comings & Goings of Universities All Over the Nation
A lot of storylines hit college softball this year – and we’ve counted down nearly a dozen of the biggest headlines in this very series – but the conference realignment waters that have flowed this year have irrevocably changed the college athletics scene and college softball in particular.
It’s not unfair to say that, outside of college football for obvious reasons, college softball may be the sport most affected by the realignment. A significant part of the college softball scene is directly or indirectly impacted by the decided and forthcoming realignment:
- Oklahoma and Texas’ surprising and sudden decision to leave the Big 12 for membership in the SEC turned college sports on its head and ignited the wave of realignment that still continues to roll. Both OU and Texas are heavyweights in the softball world, and no program has been better in recent history than the Oklahoma Sooners.
- The Big 12 bucked rumors of folding and added four programs, three that play softball. BYU is a perennial tournament team and has won the West Coast Conference annually for a number of years; both UCF and Houston are perennial contenders in the American conference. All three will now become part of the Big 12 softball scene.
- The American added six new programs, five that play softball, and all at the expense of Conference USA. That league’s softball fortunes took a major leap, particularly with the additions of UAB, North Texas, and Charlotte, three programs that are decidedly on the rise already and should be helped in their efforts by the step up in league.
- By the time the biggest portion of realignment ended, Liberty and New Mexico State were among the new additions to Conference USA; Austin Peay is headed to the ASun; Texas A&M-Commerce will move to Division I; and JMU, Marshall, and Southern Miss are all joining the Sun Belt, which should make the already-strong league among the elite softball leagues in the nation.
Final tallies came in at 10 conferences with at least one new addition and a dozen leagues losing at least one member.
The ripple effect of this realignment has been felt and still is being felt – and none of the programs have even officially made their moves yet! A decade down the road, conference realignment like it’s never been seen will be a major topic that college softball fans will associate with the year 2021.
— Justin McLeod, Extra Inning Softball
To provide comments, insights or thoughts, email: [email protected].
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Here are several of the articles Extra Inning Softball published covering the realignment picture…
College Realignment Reactions: Exclusive Thoughts from the Coaches
Originally published Nov. 27, 2021, on Extra Inning Softball
The fall news cycle in college sports had included a lot of chatter about conference realignment both official and rumored. Oklahoma and Texas’ decision to ultimately join the SEC led to a cascading effect that majorly affected the Big 12, American, Conference USA, and the Sun Belt Conference, as well as a number of other leagues and teams to a smaller degree.
Earlier this fall, In the Circle podcast host Eric Lopez collected the thoughts of the head softball coaches at BYU, Houston, and UCF – the three newest members of the Big 12 – about their move. Now, exclusively for Extra Inning Softball, Lopez spoke to the majority of the affected coaches in the C-USA –> American & Sun Belt pipeline, as well as one coach whose program will join the new-look Conference USA.
See the thoughts from each coach below.
North Texas head coach Rodney DeLong
Moving from C-USA to American
“The AAC is a multi-bid league, which is important to us. The teams coming from our conference will help the depth in that league, and it’s a better revenue league, so it’s definitely a positive for us. It’s the closest thing to Power 5, and we’re really excited for the opportunity. The logo also helps with recruiting. There are some great teams we’ll compete against, and the travel’s fun, so I imagine a lot of prospects will enjoy playing in it.”
Florida Atlantic head coach Joan Joyce
Moving from C-USA to American
“This is a huge step for our athletics department and our softball program. The American Athletic Conference has been very competitive, sending three or four softball teams to the regionals the last few years. We are looking forward to this next adventure for our program, and we are looking forward to continuing our tradition of playing some of the country’s best softball programs.”
Charlotte head coach Ashley Chastain
Moving from C-USA to American
We are honored and thrilled about the move into the American Athletic Conference. It was a pivotal day for Charlotte Softball. This is a game changing opportunity for our entire university and all of our athletic programs here at Charlotte. The American is an extremely respected softball conference and will raise the ceiling for our recruiting and facilities. We look forward to the challenge ahead over the next few years as we prepare to compete in the American. We are thankful to Conference USA for all its given to our program and athletic department. I am personally so grateful to our administration who worked tirelessly to help make this happen for us.”
UAB head coach Joe Guthrie
Moving from C-USA to American
“UAB Softball is extremely grateful for the opportunity to compete for AAC Softball championships in the future. We thank the efforts of Dr. Watts, Mark Ingram, Dan Carlson, Bryant Carter and the thousands of other UAB staff and supporters for making this exciting occasion happen. Go Blazers!”
Southern Miss head coach Brian Levin
Moving from C-USA to Sun Belt
“It is an exciting day for Southern Miss athletics! The move to the Sun Belt is huge for the softball program. The conference had four teams participate in the NCAA tournament last year. The realization that we are now in a legitimate multi-bid conference gives our student-athletes a greater opportunity to be a part of a NCAA tournament experience. There is no question that the Sun Belt is one of the best softball conferences in the country. We are so grateful to President Bennett, Jeremy McClain and the executive staff for the work they did to make this happen. SMTTT!!!
James Madison head coach Loren LaPorte
Moving from CAA to Sun Belt
“Overall, it’s great for our university. It’s a big move for us [and] I think we’re all excited as an athletic department and as a university. The Sun Belt Conference in softball is very, very strong so that’s also exciting… I think it is a wonderful move and this place is electric and excited right now.”
Marshall head coach Megan Smith
Moving from C-USA to Sun Belt
“Everyone here at Marshall is just really, really excited to move to the Sun Belt. Selfishly speaking about just softball, what an awesome softball conference. Them adding James Madison as well, that’s huge. That makes the Sun Belt – to me – the premier non-Power 5 conference for softball. It’s exciting to be part of that. Our whole university and athletic department, everyone is excited about competing in the Sun Belt and having some good regional rivalries that you kind of missed in Conference USA.”
Sam Houston State head coach Garrett Valis
Moving from WAC to C-USA
“The announcement is extremely exciting and positive for our University, athletic department, and our program. We love to compete and look forward to continuing that with the future move to C-USA. We feel there are a lot of positives to being a member of this athletic department as an employee and for our athletes, this historic move is an additional bright spot to being a part of the Bearkat family.”
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College News: Conference USA Adds Four Teams; What are the Softball Implications?
Originally published Nov. 5, 2021, on Extra Inning Softball
On Friday afternoon, Conference USA formally and officially announced the addition of four new teams – Liberty, Jacksonville State, Sam Houston, and New Mexico State. All four programs will join the league full-time effective July 1, 2023.
The announcement is the first good news of the realignment cycle for Conference USA, which has already lost nine of their current member teams to other conferences. The American picked off six CUSA schools, while three additional programs are moving to the Sun Belt.
Liberty and Jacksonville State will both leave the ASun upon moving to the C-USA; Sam Houston and NMSU are coming from the WAC. Of note, both Jacksonville State and Sam Houston are currently in their first years in their current conferences and will spend just two years there, respectively, before heading to Conference USA.
Conference USA will now stand at nine members – for now. Current members Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State are possibilities for continued realignment; both schools are being looked at for membership in the MAC.
From a softball perspective, the quartet of additions are a home run for C-USA, all things considered. In Liberty, the C-USA acquires a perennial NCAA tournament team that plays a tough non-conference schedule every year. New Mexico State is another program that is used to making NCAA tournament appearances regularly. Jacksonville State and Sam Houston are again similar as contending teams in their previous leagues that have not yet had a chance to establish their place in their new homes.
Now, neither team need get too comfortable in conference play – the unfamiliar foes will by unfamiliar again soon enough.
Remaining teams in Conference USA include Louisiana Tech, FIU, and UTEP, plus WKU and Middle Tennessee (as of now). While football might have been a driving force behind the addition of these teams, the combination of historical success and present-day promise also shores up the league’s softball offering in impressive fashion.
A random, yet important note: Conference USA will now also be home to two of the finest softball facilities in mid-major softball in Louisiana Tech’s Dr. Billy Bundrick Field and Kamphius Field at Liberty Softball Stadium.
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College News: CAA Bans James Madison from League Postseason Participation Following Move to Sun Belt
Originally published Nov. 4, 2021, on Extra Inning Softball
The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) has barred James Madison from participating in the 2021-22 conference postseason in any sport, according to a report that surfaced late Wednesday.
According to a report from the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia, officials from the JMU athletic department informed JMU student-athletes of the decision on Wednesday evening. The CAA’s decision is based on James Madison’s plan to move to the FBS and realign with the Sun Belt Conference, a move that could be ratified and made official as soon as this week.
Within the CAA’s bylaws is a provision that allows for such a moratorium on postseason play if a school has declared intentions to depart the league. There is also precedent for such a move; a similar action was previously taken when Old Dominion departed for Conference USA in 2013. Ironically, Old Dominion is now leaving the C-USA and is one of the teams joining James Madison in the Sun Belt.
Importantly, the CAA’s postseason ban would only apply to league postseason – James Madison’s softball team and other athletic programs would still be eligible to compete in the NCAA postseason, but would have to do so through receiving an at-large bid to the tournament field.
Wednesday’s report out of Richmond also cited a source that said presidents of the remaining CAA schools voted “overwhelming” to restrict the Dukes from the conference postseason, following an appeal made by JMU to those presidents.
James Madison is also scheduled to host the CAA softball tournament in 2022 for the ninth consecutive year. That will also change as part of the CAA’s move, though a new potential host site is unknown at this point. JMU has hosted the CAA’s softball postseason annually for as far back as the league’s online records go.
During the 2021 season, James Madison went on a historic run during the postseason. After losing just once during the regular season, the Dukes swept through the Knoxville Regional as the regional 3-seed and bested Missouri in a best-of-three Super Regional that was held in Columbia.
In the Women’s College World Series, the Dukes beat Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in consecutive nights en route to the deepest postseason run in mid-major history, a berth in the WCWS Semifinals that saw eventual champion Oklahoma have to win two elimination games in a row against the Dukes in order to make the Championship Series.
Other leagues have imposed various “sanctions” on teams that are departing their current conferences during the recent run of realignments, but no penalty so severe has been leveled prior to the CAA’s action on Wednesday.
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Big 12 Bound: Exclusive Thoughts from UCF, Houston, BYU coaches about realignment
Originally published Oct. 4
The Big 12’s blockbuster addition of four new schools added three new and successful softball programs to the league. BYU, Houston, and UCF are all perennial postseason teams historically and all three are set to begin competing in the Big 12 within the next few years – and possibly sooner.
Following the official announcement of their respective programs joining the Big 12, we spoke exclusively with the head coach of each program to get their thoughts on the move and what it means for their programs.
BYU head coach Gordon Eakin
“Joining the Big 12 is a great honor. The Big 12 is an incredible athletic conference in every sport. Softball in the Big 12 is always at the highest level and with the addition of UCF, Houston and BYU the competition level will continue to excel. Joining the Big 12 has already improved and lifted our recruiting. At BYU we have everything a prospect could want in the college experience, and now we belong to an incredible conference. Let’s go!”
Houston head coach Kristin Vesely
“The American Athletic Conference is known as a top softball conference. Going into the Big 12, it gives us Power 5 expectations.
We expect our program to go into the Big 12 and be competitive and compete for conference championships. That is unwavering from our staff and our Athletics Department.
When you talk about the Big 12, you are talking about top-quality softball. You are talking about opening the door to top-notch recruits, and you are talking about student-athlete welfare, playing schools within drivable distances. You are talking about bringing in revenue, which will enhance the student-athlete experience while they are at the University of Houston. You are talking about continuing to build the resources for the program to be successful.
This is nostalgic for me. I played in the Big 12 and competed for my entire college career. Being able to go back to the Big 12, knowing what it takes to win, is exciting.”
UCF head coach Cindy Ball-Malone
“First, I must acknowledge the role that the American Conference has played in our development as a softball program and as an athletic department. The competitive nature of the American conference is why we believe we will be able to compete for Big XII championships right away. We have been competing against ranked conference opponents and multiple regional teams within the American Conference every year that I’ve been at UCF.
We are excited for our journey into the Big XII and believe our new conference membership is the gateway to what’s possible for future student athletes who want to compete for National Championships. UCF, the city of Orlando, and the state of Florida provide student athletes everything they could dream of when it comes to a complete college experience. Our membership in the Big XII builds on the opportunities our student athletes already have when it comes to exposure, recognition, and a successful career after college softball.
We have benefited from the hard work and vision of a university and administrators who weren’t afraid to dream big. Our program has been ready to match their boldness by making our brand known across the country. We are here. We are ready. We are Knight Nation.”
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Breaking News: Big 12 Officially Invites BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston
Originally published Sept. 10, on Extra Inning Softball
The following information was released by the Big 12 website today… all four are expected to accept the offer…
The Big 12 Conference Board of Directors this morning voted to extend membership invitations to Brigham Young University, the University of Central Florida, the University of Cincinnati, and the University of Houston to join the Conference.
Today’s actions were in accordance with Big 12 Conference Bylaw 1.5.2.b.3 requiring an affirmative vote of a supermajority of Directors, and was approved unanimously by the eight continuing members.
As necessary, institutional Boards will be in session today to act on Big 12 Conference membership. Videoconference announcements with Big 12 Board of Directors Chairman and Texas Tech University President Lawrence Schovanec, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby, and campus representatives are scheduled today at the following times:
Houston – 11:00 a.m. CT
BYU – 11:30 a.m. CT
UCF – 2:45 p.m. CT
Cincinnati – 3:30 p.m. CT