The GIST

College

SEC teams dominate the first two weeks of collegiate softball season

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The road to the Women's College World Series runs through the Southeast

February 19, 2025

What we learned from week one of the softball season

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The NCAA softball landscape has long been dominated by the same teams, with Oklahoma winning the last four titles and just 13 different squads claiming trophies since 1982. But if Week 1 is any indication, we just might be seeing an increase in parity. Here’s who’s knocking it out of the park with the first few games done and dusted.

February 12, 2025

Softball season is upon us, with familiar faces headlining the Nation’s top squads

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There might still be snow outside your window and a chill in the air, but get your glove ready because softball season is almost here.

February 05, 2025

College softball’s popularity proves integral to pro league’s success

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The fifth season of AU Pro Softball will reach its electrifying end on Sunday, when one of the country’s 60 best players will top the leaderboard to become the 2024 champion. From expansion to big-time investors, the league’s success reflects softball’s growth into mainstream sports culture — and much of that stems from the college game’s skyrocketing popularity.

August 23, 2024

An exclusive interview with AU Pro Softball’s Lexi Kilfoyl

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Pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl played three years at Alabama and two at Oklahoma State — both WCWS mainstays. In her first pro season, Kilfoyl has earned enough weekly points to land within the league’s Top 4 for four straight weeks, thus allowing her to captain her team. We chatted with Kilfoyl about her transition from the college game to AU’s diamond, with her insights demonstrating the NCAA’s power to push the game forward at all levels.

August 23, 2024

The biggest transfers ahead of the 2024–25 school year

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These players are already making waves at their new schools.

July 03, 2024

NCAA-to-pro pipeline: Softball

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Like many women’s sports, softball’s professional history is messy, but now, one innovative league is bringing stability to the game. Here’s everything you need to know about the top diamond destination for the NCAA’s best: Athletes Unlimited (AU).

June 24, 2024

College

The Women’s College World Series is the latest growth magnet for women’s sports

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June 10, 2024

The latest NCAA event to demonstrate women’s sports’ massive growth? The Women’s College World Series (WCWS)

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #472

Business is booming: The WNBA’s record-setting expansion

July 01, 2025

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Business is booming: The WNBA’s record-setting expansion

Keep going, keep growing.

The WNBA announced their long-term expansion plans on Monday, revealing that the league is aiming to reach a whopping 18 teams in the next five years. Today’s episode of The GIST of It takes a closer look at why the WNBA chose Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia as their newest markets, with co-hosts Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz breaking down the deets, including the record-setting expansion fee each squad will pay to join women’s basketball’s hottest club.

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