Matt Brown from Extra Points recently published a list of what Division I College Softball Programs are spending on the sport — operating budgets excluding NIL — and Florida State came in at No. 15 at $3,785,333 in 2025, up 10.6 percent from the prior year.

Four of the top five schools are in the SEC, led by No. 1 Oklahoma ($7,724,358), No. 2 Tennessee ($5,807,620), No. 3 Nebraska (Big 10) at $4,631,302. No. 4 Texas A&M ($4,490,934) and Florida ($4,481,513).

FSU’s budget is second only to No. 6 Clemson ($4,313,465) in the ACC.

No other ACC team is ranked in the top 25 for total expenses.

Of the top 10, six are SEC, three are Big 10, and one ACC (Clemson at No. 6).

Of the top 25, fifteen are SEC, five are Big 10, two are ACC (No. 6 Clemson and No. 15 FSU), with three Big 12 teams (No. 16 Texas Tech, No. 19 Oklahoma State and No. 24 Arizona).

The median coaching staff salary is $1.1 million in the SEC. Next is the Big 12 at $660k, followed by the ACC ($611k), Big 10 ($605k), Pac 12 ($429k) and Big East ($414k).

Not everyone happy with Senate vote to pass PCSA

In a release following the vote, the National Collegiate Players Association (NCPA) wrote: “We remain strongly opposed to the PCSA and will continue fighting to make sure it does not pass The House of Representatives.” The group noted their advocacy did produce key improvements.

“We empowered survivors, families, whistleblowers, athletes and advocates to fight back,” they wrote. “As a result, the Senate ultimately agreed to amend the bill so universities can’t use the 30-day “cure” loophole to block athlete lawsuits regarding sexual abuse, physical injury and deaths because those violations clearly can’t be “cured.”

The NCPA was also pleased “the Senate gave the NCAA a legal responsibility to take actions to ensure universities comply with athlete safety standards.”

According to the release, “The NCAA has successfully argued in past lawsuits that it owed athletes no duty of protection. The PCSA would now create a federal right allowing athletes and surviving families to sue the NCAA itself when it fails to meet this new legal responsibility.”

According to the NCPA, there are still matters to resolve:

-          “Roughly 70% of Division I schools are left without the bill’s guaranteed roster and scholarship protections, while protections at covered schools expire after either four or nine years. And athletes who have temporary protections aren’t given an avenue to enforce those protections if the cuts are made in violation of the PCSA.”

-          “PCSA will eliminate billions of dollars in lawful athlete NIL pay currently protected under many state NIL laws.”

-          “Loopholes could bar athlete lawsuits for PCSA violations involving NIL rights, medical bills, scholarships and other athlete protections. A school could prevent a lawsuit from proceeding by claiming it “cured” a violation with a policy adjustment - even if the athlete sustained irreversible economic/educational harm.”

-          “Athletes in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement can report sexual abuse and other misconduct to SafeSport, an independent entity authorized by Congress to investigate and impose sanctions. If a college athlete is sexually abused by a university trainer, the PCSA creates no comparable independent investigative and enforcement body. Instead, each university designates its own employee as its health and safety officer.

-          “The Senate capped athlete compensation while rejecting Sen. Cory Booker’s proposed amendment to cap new coaching contracts at $5 million and subject coaches’ NIL deals to similar scrutiny. Apparently, cost concerns apply to athletes but not coaches whose salaries and payouts exceed what FBS universities pay their athletes.”

The NCPA promises to fight for the student-athletes as the bill makes the rounds through the House of Representatives.

“The PCSA is not law yet. The House is the next, critical, step,” the NCPA notes. “We will continue fighting for legislation that protects college athletes without sacrificing our rights, compensation, safety, or access to justice! This fight is not over.”

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