We continue our list of the Top 15 Softball Stories of 2021, which will run through December 31st when we’ll present 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
Also, on New Year’s Day 2022, we’ll list all 15 of the top stories of the year as well as run 15 more that were considered.
We’ve surveyed the softball community and talked internally as well to come up with what 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: info@extrainningsoftball.com.
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Today’s Story of the Year: #3
The NIL Ruling Opens Doors in Softball… and Some, Like Montana Fouts, Are Taking Advantage
This was a sports year that saw the return of every collegiate and professional sports league, an Olympic Games, and some incredible sports moments.
One thing that will define the 2021 year in sports, and in softball, is the beginning of Name, Image, and Likeness legislation in the NCAA. For the first time, college athletes have the opportunity to benefit and profit from their own popularity and athletic achievements, whether that’s in the form of endorsement deals or producing their own brand and merchandise.
While any number of softball players have dipped their toes into the NLI waters this year, none has seen the success of Alabama pitching ace Montana Fouts. Earlier this fall, a graphic listed Fouts as the most popular collegiate athlete on the Cameo app. Despite the presence of some high-profile football quarterbacks and basketball players on the app, which allows fans to purchase personalized videos from their favorite celebrities, no collegian has been as popular as Fouts.
Alabama’s standout hurler has unveiled a number of NIL endorsement deals over the last few months, and has also introduced her personal brand and merchandising line. Fouts has capitalized on the loosened restrictions in impressive fashion and with tremendous success.
NIL’s unveiling brought with it the classic skepticism that only the biggest stars in the biggest sports would truly benefit. Fouts as at the top of the list of those proving the fallacies of that theory.
— Justin McLeod, Extra Inning Softball
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Breaking News: NCAA Adopts Interim Name, Image and Likeness Policy… Starting Thursday, Athletes Can Make Money From Social Media, Endorsements & More
Originally published June 30, 2021, on Extra Inning Softball
NCAA college athletes will have the opportunity to benefit from their name, image and likeness beginning Thursday (July 1, 2021).
Governance bodies in all three divisions on Wednesday adopted a uniform interim policy suspending NCAA name, image and likeness rules for all incoming and current student-athletes in all sports.
“This is an important day for college athletes since they all are now able to take advantage of name, image and likeness opportunities,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said. “With the variety of state laws adopted across the country, we will continue to work with Congress to develop a solution that will provide clarity on a national level. The current environment — both legal and legislative — prevents us from providing a more permanent solution and the level of detail student-athletes deserve.”
The policy provides the following guidance to college athletes, recruits, their families and member schools:
- Individuals can engage in NIL activities that are consistent with the law of the state where the school is located. Colleges and universities may be a resource for state law questions.
- College athletes who attend a school in a state without an NIL law can engage in this type of activity without violating NCAA rules related to name, image and likeness.
- Individuals can use a professional services provider for NIL activities.
- Student-athletes should report NIL activities consistent with state law or school and conference requirements to their school.
“Today, NCAA members voted to allow college athletes to benefit from name, image and likeness opportunities, no matter where their school is located,” said Division I Board of Directors chair Denise Trauth, president at Texas State. “With this interim solution in place, we will continue to work with Congress to adopt federal legislation to support student-athletes.”
While opening name, image and likeness opportunities to student-athletes, the policy in all three divisions preserves the commitment to avoid pay-for-play and improper inducements tied to choosing to attend a particular school. Those rules remain in effect.
“The new policy preserves the fact college sports are not pay-for-play,” said Division II Presidents Council chair Sandra Jordan, chancellor at the University of South Carolina Aiken. “It also reinforces key principles of fairness and integrity across the NCAA and maintains rules prohibiting improper recruiting inducements. It’s important any new rules maintain these principles.”
Division III Presidents Council chair Fayneese Miller, president at Hamline, said the Association will continue to work with Congress to develop a national law that will help colleges and universities, student-athletes and their families better navigate the name, image and likeness landscape.
“The new interim policy provides college athletes and their families some sense of clarity around name, image and likeness, but we are committed to doing more,” Miller said. “We need to continue working with Congress for a more permanent solution.”
The temporary policy will remain in place until federal legislation or new NCAA rules are adopted. With the NIL interim policy, schools and conferences may choose to adopt their own additional policies.
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Inside Pitch: Will the NIL Ruling Have an Impact on Softball? It Already Has!
Originally published July 16, 2021, on Extra Inning Softball
Some are calling it the NCAA legislative ruling that will have the greatest impact on college sports… ever.
When the NCAA adopted the “Name, Image and Likeness (NIL)” policy on June 30, 2021, it changed the ground rules which have trickle down effects not even thought of yet.
Extra Inning Softball contributor Justin McLeod of Justin’s World of Softball shares his thoughts on this landmark decision in the latest edition of his weekly “Inside Pitch” column…
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The NIL (“Name, Image, and Likeness”) is all the rage in college softball these days.
Often abbreviated to NIL, this is the governance of active college athletes being able to profit from their own popularity and name recognition.
Gone are the days of a college athlete having to choose between playing their sport collegiately or operating a successful YouTube channel or clothing brand; with the new governmental regulations and NCAA rule relaxation, that won’t even be a topic of discussion any longer.
While NIL has been a popular topic of late, what effects will the rule change have on the sport of softball?
Will the sport truly benefit from the rule change or will that positive effect be limited to major head-count sports like football and basketball?
Thus far, some softball stars are already seeing some benefit from the rule.
For example, a plethora of college stars including Jayda Coleman of Oklahoma and Montana Fouts of Alabama have joined the Cameo app, where they can be paid to send personalized videos to fans.
*** Click HERE to see all the softball players including collegians, pros and Olympians on Cameo
Others have lent their names and faces to marketing efforts for softball camps, and still others immediately tested the waters of merchandise sales.
As in any sport, the biggest stars stand to benefit the most.
Players like Fouts and Jocelyn Alo have announced their intent to capitalize on the new NIL regulations and are in prime position to do so thanks to their incredible on-field endeavors and sustaining off-field popularity.
Jocely has launched her own website, jocelynalo.com, to be able to build her brand and ultimately, she says, to sell merchandise.
If anyone in the game right now has a name and image to monetize, it’s that of the Hawaii native!
In that same vein, never has social media been as important as it is now.
A large social media following can set a player up for sponsorship and marketing opportunities based on the number of people that they broadcast to, and it’s also a factor that isn’t necessarily affected by off-field play.
At the same time, a negative social media presence could also eliminate a player from marketing opportunities.
There are also opportunities for players who may not play on a large-market team or have major name recognition.
Let’s say Susie Q Softball Player is a star for her mid-major program in a true college town; even though Susie may not be in line for a national marketing gig, a local business could sign her to appear in a TV commercial or an ad campaign.
It’s not a stretch of the imagination to see that softball will reap some benefits from NIL in the immediate future and as the sport continues to grow, so also will the marketability of the diamond’s biggest stars.
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Inside Pitch: The NIL Impact is Making Its Way into College Softball… & Players Are Benefitting
Originally published Sept. 23, 2021, on Extra Inning Softball
Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) legislation was passed by the NCAA some months ago, and yet there remains that momentary pause to make sure that I’ve used the right acronym when referencing it.
Talk to just about any college coach – in any sport – and NIL still presents a host of unknown hoops that might need to be jumped through and frequently asks more questions than it answers. Even with so much still unknown about the new regulations – or lack thereof – the impact that NIL has already made is considerably notable.
Look no further than this week’s announcement that SmartyStreets, a tech company with a BYU-grad CEO, is offering a first-of-its-kind NIL opportunity for every female athlete at BYU. That’s nearly 300 female athletes, many of them in “non-revenue” college sports, that will benefit in the form of several thousand dollars each.
Utah has some of the most laid-back laws that apply to NIL, and the student-athletes at BYU have benefited from that. Here’s the CEO, Jonathan Oliver, making the emotional announcement on Tuesday that every athlete in the Cougar program–walk-ons included–would get $6,000 for representing the company:
https://twitter.com/smartystreets/status/1440418633121873929
How different student-athletes in different parts of the country are approaching NIL is an interesting case study.
Softball has had its fair share of endorsement deals that have been announced since the NIL rules debuted, but the makeup of those deals nearly runs the gamut of possibilities.
Almost as soon as the NIL legislation passed, a number of softball stars flocked to the Cameo app, where fans can pay for personalized video messages. Stars like Jocelyn Alo and Jayda Coleman joined the app in short order, but no college athlete of any kind has been a more popular Cameo star than Alabama pitcher Montana Fouts.
Fouts’ Cameo page shows more than 50 reviews from satisfied customers, as well as nearly 500 “fans” registered on the app. Video shoutouts isn’t Fouts’ only new interest thanks to NIL – she’s also hosted and participated in a number of camps, unveiled her personal brand and website, and sold apparel.
A handful of Fouts’ Crimson Tide teammates – including Kaylee Tow, Jenna Johnson, and Ally Shipman – have each unveiled personal brands and logos, with different marketing opportunities in mind for each.
I mentioned Jocelyn Alo and Jayda Coleman; the Oklahoma stars were the first two collegiate athletes to sign with Lauren Chamberlain’s new management company after its debut in August.
Both Alo and Coleman have marketed custom apparel, done multiple autograph signings, and on Wednesday, Alo debuted in a new television commercial for a law firm.
This week, Florida third baseman Charla Echols announced a partnership with Big League Chew, the historically dugout-popular brand of bubble gum.
View this post on Instagram
Others who are using the NIL opportunities to their advantage include the following:
- Tennessee’s Ashley Rogers and Kiki Milloy have sold t-shirts in a package deal (see image below of the page).
- Hailey Dolcini, who played last year at Fresno State and is now in the transfer portal, has multiple NIL deals to her credit.
- Texas’ Camille Corona endorsed a brand of cowboy hats.
- Wichita State’s Sydney McKinney helped create a custom coffee line that will also benefit her program.
And many, many more will be announced… you can count on that!
When NIL was first announced and debuted, some thought that softball would be passed over in favor of athletes in the “more popular” sports of football and basketball.
That the exact opposite has been the case is yet another sign of softball’s growth in popularity and the marketability of the ladies on the diamond.
— Justin McLeod, Extra Inning Softball Correspondent
