• Loading stock data...
Friday, June 6, 2025

Women’s College World Series Is Tight but Lucrative Earning Window for Softball Stars

An agent explains how brands navigate the uncertainty of not knowing which players will be in softball’s increasingly popular summer showcase.

Parker
The Oklahoman

Olympic gold medalist Natasha Watley had three thoughts when she first learned ace pitcher NiJaree Canady’s transfer to Texas Tech would come with a $1 million NIL contract

“What?”

“Wow!” 

“Why?!” 

Watley, a four-time first-team All American at UCLA in the 2000s and two-time Olympian, wasn’t shocked because she thought Canady’s talent wasn’t worth $1 million. She just never imagined seeing that kind of money in softball, ever. 

The college softball landscape is significantly different compared to when Watley was leading UCLA to its ninth Women’s College World Series title in 2003. Canady is an anomaly in the sense that she is the only player in softball with a seven-figure NIL deal, but others are earning up to six-figure amounts from brand deals and partnerships.

The most lucrative window for softball players is the sprint that is the WCWS, which started May 29 and ends later this week.

“A brand reached out and was like ‘We want to work with someone that’s going to go to the World Series,’” Lesley Feldman, the co-founder of women’s sports agency Players Collextive, told Front Office Sports. “I was like, ‘I can’t promise you if you work with an Oklahoma player that Oklahoma is going to be there.’” 

As it turns out, Oklahoma—a favorite to return to the Finals to compete for its fifth consecutive WCWS title—was eliminated in the semifinals by Canady’s Red Raiders. This year’s pre-finals games averaged 1.1 million viewers, up 25% from last year. Tennessee and UCLA’s elimination game on June 1 came in at 2.2 million viewers on ABC. Texas Tech’s win over Oklahoma averaged 1.6 viewers on ESPN. Last year, the WCWS Finals series between Oklahoma and Texas averaged 2 million viewers, breaking the all-time record.

These numbers significantly outstrip the regular season and those for what professional softball leagues have existed in the United States. 

Despite the uncertainty, Feldman is still able to negotiate with brands for pre-produced content that they can publish during the tournament regardless of where her clients’ teams finish. For example, Feldman had three clients who made it to the semifinals: Texas catcher Reese Atwood, Oklahoma utility player Ella Parker, and Oklahoma outfielder Kasidi Pickering. 

Brands were aware that these three had a strong possibility of competing for a national championship, so they negotiated with Feldman on rates and took the risk that they may be eliminated early. Atwood and Texas will face Texas Tech in the best-of-three series beginning on June 4 at 8 p.m. 

But it isn’t all risk. Brands can benefit whether an athlete makes it to the finals or not. 

“Ella hit a walk off home run [against Tennessee] to win the game and her following went up at least 1,500 followers just from that one hit,” Feldman said. 

Most players are primarily building personal brands using Instagram and TikTok, Feldman said. Parker has nearly 20,000 followers between TikTok and Instagram. Atwood has nearly 22,000 followers on Instagram alone. Canady has almost 95,000 followers across Instagram, TikTok and X.

Feldman declined to share specific earnings for her softball clients, but said it’s significantly higher than what they are making at the professional level. 

Athletes Unlimited Softball League—which just secured an eight-figure investment from MLB—offers an average player salary of $40,000, the highest in the United States. But players stand to earn more than double that amount off of NIL deals off of brand deals and in Canady’s case, directly from her school’s collective.

The challenge athletes and brands face is visibility after college. No U.S. pro softball league has been able to reach enough fans to stay viable, and Athletes Unlimited’s previous softball iterations produced viewership numbers that were a fraction of the WCWS.  

But with interest exploding in women’s sports and college softball ratings still climbing, MLB is betting that softball could prove popular on its platforms, with some marketing help from the baseball behemoth. AUSL games will appear on MLB Network and ESPN this summer.

Historically, though, many brands have dropped players after college, even if the player keeps playing in Japan or elsewhere, Feldman said. (She did say that bat and glove companies were more interested in keeping players.) 

The MLB deal and the lead up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics stand to increase opportunities to earn money outside of their salaries. 

“A lot of these brands are like ‘Oh, we want someone at the college space,’” Feldman said. “Because of the viewership. I’ve had to explain that to my pro players and say ‘Look, at the end of the day because you’re not getting the viewership that these college players are, you have to be more active on social media.’” 

Players in Watley’s era didn’t have the chance to use social media to boost their profiles. But Watley isn’t bitter about younger players making a living for the first time. “I’ve felt a sense of purpose and passion growing the game and continuing those opportunities,” she told FOS. “The reality of that is I don’t feel disappointment. I feel proud.” 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NiJaree Canady

Stacked Texas Tech NIL Roster Now a Win Away From Softball Title

The Red Raiders have a winning formula with NIL and recruiting.
ESPN has not let NBA Countdown “marinate” as talent changes too frequently, ex-host Michelle Beadle tells FOS.
breaking

SiriusXM Parts Ways With Michelle Beadle, Cody Decker

Beadle, Decker exit three months before Stephen A. Smith takes their slot.
Tony Clark

Everything You Need to Know About the MLBPA-OneTeam FBI Investigation

Money from lucrative group licensing deals is under federal scrutiny.
Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers Finally Agrees to Deal With Steelers

The one-year deal is reportedly set to be signed Friday.

Featured Today

May 27, 2015; Paris, France; Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) knocks the clay off her shoe during her match against Simona Halep (ROU) on day four of the French Open at Roland Garros

Roland-Garros’s Iconic Red-Clay Surface Is a Precise Alchemy

The exact science behind maintaining the French Open’s red clay.
Alex Jensen introductory press conference on Monday, March 17, 2025.
June 3, 2025

Alex Jensen Started Utah Utes HC Job While Still Coaching the Mavs

How Jensen began building an NCAA program while patrolling the Dallas sideline.
May 31, 2025

PSG and the City of Paris Can Join European Soccer’s Elite

What a maiden Champions League title would mean for the French club.
May 30, 2025

How the Champions League Anthem Took on a Life of Its Own

The composer didn’t know he wrote a timeless hit three decades ago.

Ohio State’s Ryan Day Pushes for Big Ten Priority in CFP Format

Ohio State’s head coach wants the Big Ten to have four automatic bids.
Jun 2, 2025; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders players celebrate after defeating the Oklahoma Sooners 3-2 and advance to the finals against Texas in the NCAA Softball Women's College World Series semifinal game at Devon Park.
June 4, 2025

How Texas Tech Put Together Its First-Ever Women’s College World Series Run

AD Kirby Hocutt speaks with FOS about the Red Raiders’ winning formula.
Mar 30, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers guard Zakai Zeigler (5) shoots the ball against the Houston Cougars in the first half during the Midwest Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium.
June 4, 2025

Trump’s DOJ Files Brief in Zeigler NCAA Eligibility Case

Zakai Zeigler is asking to play for Tennessee’s basketball team a fifth year.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
NCAA Hockey
June 4, 2025

Gavin McKenna’s College Decision Could Shake Up Hockey Forever

The balance of power could shift from Canada to U.S. colleges.
Jan 19, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; The College Football Playoff National Championship trophy at a press conference at The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Savannah Ballroom.
June 3, 2025

As 2025 CFB Season Nears, 2026 Playoff Format Still a Mystery

College Football Playoff leaders are divided on its future.
Mar 22, 2025; Birmingham AL, USA; LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne stretches with teammates before Session 2 of the SEC Gymnastics Tournament at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
June 2, 2025

House Settlement Is Supposed to Take Effect in July. It’s Still Not..

College sports awaits which athlete compensation rules will govern the 2025 season.
Mar 28, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Mississippi Rebels forward Jaemyn Brakefield (4) rebounds over Michigan State Spartans center Carson Cooper (15) and Mississippi Rebels guard Matthew Murrell (11) in the second half of a South Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at State Farm Arena.
May 30, 2025

SEC Increases Court Storming Fine to $500K—With Caveat

The SEC used to fine schools $500,000 as a third-time offense.