Cougars Don’T Want (Need) Softball

Don’t expect any softball diamond dust to be kicking up at Washington State University anytime soon.

Although eight Pacific-10 Conferences schools offer softball, WSU does not. That’s because it doesn’t need it.

“We’re in compliance,” Washington State senior associate athletic director Marcia Saneholtz said. “Right now there is not a mandate to add softball or any sport.”

Washington State is considered a model institution in regards to Title IX compliance. To comply with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the percentage of female athletes at a school should mirror the percentage of female students. At WSU, about 47 percent of its undergraduates are women, 49 percent of all athletes are women.

Ten years ago, Washington State looked at the possibility of adding crew, soccer and/or softball as varsity women’s sports. Soccer, a sport that carries 22 athletes on a team, was added in 1989. Crew, which can handle as many 100 rowers, was added the following year. Both sports were long-established club sports.

Softball, also a sport of 22 or so players, was not added although club softball is being played at WSU. The University of Southern California is the only other Pac-10 school that does not offer softball.

Saneholtz said it’s unlikely varsity softball will be added, at least unless the growth of female enrollment throws off the compliance ratio.

“We may reach a point where we’re going to have to look at adding another sport, but right now, we’re at proportionality,” she said.

“What we’re looking at is addressing our facilities issues so that we have Pac-10 caliber facilities for all of our teams.”

The $8.1 million Bohler Gym addition includes a recently completed training center. The next phase involves a complete remodeling of the building.

Saneholtz also emphasized that adding sports is not limited to women.

“It becomes a women’s issue when you’re talking about gender equity,” she said. “But given that we meet those standards, if we’re talking about adding sports, it’s not just a women’s issue. We would love to add sports for both men and women.”

In the past 26 years, five men’s sports, three women’s sports and coed rifling have been dropped.

WSU athletics does not stand alone in the field regarding softball.

Varsity softball also isn’t played at Idaho, Gonzaga or Eastern Washington. All three offer women’s soccer, with Eastern jumping on board last fall and UI starting a program this fall.