The difficulty of D1 softball dominance.

[Apoc70]

More female athletes are entering Division 1 softball than ever before. The growth just since 2010 is incredible. The odds are against any college program having a dominant softball team today, which makes the accomplishments of the OU softball team even more impressive.

In 1990 there were 171 teams and 2,873 players in D1 softball with a 16.9 average squad.

In 2000 ------------ 245 ------------ 4,606 ----------------------------------- 18.8.

In 2010 ------------ 279 ------------- 5,539 ----------------------------------- 19.9.

In 2021 ------------ 294 ------------- 6,892 ----------------------------------- 23.4.

[waddy's ghost]

I appreciate this post very much as it shows the growth of OUr sport . However I think since PG and OU have risen to dominance during this tim withe 2013 2016-17 2021-22 NCs all coming during this span it flys in the face of the title premise . PG and her Crimson Machine have been VERY dominant in this era .

[1KCSoonerFan]

Good point Apoc70!

What level of difficulty factor would you use to compare a 40 game winning streak today to one in 1990?

Winning 40 straight games in 2023 is like winning 50 straight in 1990 with a 1.25 difficulty factor.

In addition to the sheer numbers of players, the technology, training sciences, and coaching expertise has increased exponentially. You have more athletes of higher quality. The Summer Leagues (Like OC Batbusters) have expanded big time - and provide a nearly year-round opportunity to play, train, and get coached.

Bottom line, the Sooners are doing something, at an increasingly high difficulty level, that is simply amazing!

[Apoc70]

I don't know how much more difficult a long-win streak is today than in the 1990s, but it's definitely more difficult. The increased volume of players is one factor. As you pointed out, there are a plethora of other factors to consider when looking at the difficulty of winning at a high level.

UCLA won national championships in 1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995*, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2010, and 2019. Their championships became fewer and farther between as the sport became more popular and other teams became more competitive.

We must appreciate what the OU softball team doing in the modern age of softball. The competition is more fierce than ever and it's going to get more and more difficult to win championships.