We’ve seen it in this sport in the past — Oklahoma is trying to match and/or beat marks set by the 1992 UCLA team. Only the Bruins and Arizona Wildcats have ever won five of seven national championships at any point in college softball history. So, it’s rarefied air but not unheard of.
Personally, I go back and forth on whether it’s a good thing for a sport. UConn’s dynasty in women’s basketball eventually hurt the sport because the best players only went there and simply waited their turn to play and win titles. It’s better for everyone to have talent dispersed across the country and to truly develop parity in the sport. And that’s where softball is right now, even with a dynasty in Norman.
We’ve seen early upsets. We see national player of the year candidates scattered across the country. Young programs have reached national prominence.
Grand Canyon and Liberty just knocked out UCLA, for goodness sake. So, yes, Oklahoma is the gold standard and maybe no one will be able to beat them this week. But, for casual sports fans, knowing that Oklahoma is great at this sport and if you tune in, you’ll see excellence — that’s a good thing. Jocelyn Alo became something of a household name because she was must-see TV. I think that works for a lot of people as an entry point to a sport, and then hopefully they stick around.
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