In the fall, college football reigns supreme. The Power Five’s monopoly of collegiate competition is so fearsome that only March Madness in the spring can break through the chase and receipt of a gridiron national championship. And while the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments captured the nation’s attention for three weeks, it’s usually followed by a lull until Labor Day with no must-see events until college football resumes. Don’t be blinded if you’re a diehard fan of Iowa or Washington State. College football and basketball are placed in the lexicon of overall sports for a reason, but that could change. And with recent post-pandemic trends of all sports gaining steam just to have more to get out of the house and cheer for, the post-March Madness lull has a chance to be quelled, and the break in competition would be transferred to the summer.
It solely depends on college baseball and softball to pick up the slack. The advent of NIL helps market the sport’s biggest stars, their visibility for the postseason has never been higher, and having dominant, flashy programs leading the charge can only help the diamond sports. Look at LSU women’s basketball. You either love or hate Kim Mulkey, and you’ll tune in to watch her teams succeed or fail. Not to mention the incredible star power her teams have had over the last decade-plus, with the current face of the Bayou Angel Reese being one of several notable names at LSU. And potential No. 1 pick in this year’s MLB Draft, outfielder Dylan Crews, did a great impersonation of Reese’s championship ring point during Monday’s title-securing victory over Florida.
LSU is as much of a traditional New York Yankees-style powerhouse as there is in college baseball, as the Tigers have the second-most national championships (seven), only trailing USC’s 12, with the Trojans winning one title since 1978. And after one of the most competitive and compelling Men’s College World Series events of all time, with half of the showcase’s 16 games being decided by one run, several college baseball teams could easily state they’re in a position to be the next national championship team. And with parity in college baseball, plenty of games will be exciting to overall baseball fans. It’s the in-between one dominant team and complete parity that won’t draw in fans. And speaking of dominance, the other diamond sport just saw one of the best collegiate teams of all time lift a title.
We’re 19 days removed from the Women’s College World Series and Oklahoma’s 61-1 season to win its third straight national championship. Oklahoma versus everyone will be the only topic that really matters in college softball next season, even with graduation and losses to the transfer portal hitting the Sooners’ camp hard, mainly with the loss of Jordy Bahl. Oklahoma’s ace entered the portal with the intention of transferring to Nebraska, and has already joined the Cornhuskers. To make matters a little worse, Jocelyn Erickson, thought to be one of Oklahoma’s best returning players next year, also entered the transfer portal this week. The Sooners might appear prone, but until someone can take the softball crown from them, it’s hard not to consider a four-peat squarely on the table. And if Oklahoma gets toppled, it’ll be such a satisfying moment for the team that accomplishes the feat. Watching that chase is all the juiciness softball could ever ask for.
It’ll be another seven months until collegiate diamond sports play competitive games again, with football largely dominating the space without baseball and softball. While some will always show up to watch the diamond sports, and some will never be bothered, both current products have a chance to heavily advance their marketplace right now. Both World Series events have permanent locations that can become destinations, while the CFP championship and Final Four find different large-scale stadiums around the country to pack people in like sardines. Here’s your beginning of summer tradition. Everything necessary to take the NCAA’s diamond sports to the next level is in front of them.