CORAL GABLES — The chances of Miami adding a women’s softball team appear to be growing, and Hurricanes athletic director Dan Radakovich said Monday that softball is primed to be the school’s next athletic program.
“As we move forward, I could say that women’s softball is the next women’s sport that we would look to add here at the University of Miami,” Radakovich said. “Now the timing, as it relates to a lot of things, is a little bit up in the air still, but it’s part of our initiatives to kind of move that along as quickly as we can.”
Radakovich added that no new men’s teams are being considered at the moment.
Radakovich said the logistics of adding a softball team are still being worked out as the athletics department evaluates where to put a stadium and how to bring in the money to launch the program.
“We’re in the process right now of evaluating where best we may be able to put a softball field,” Radakovich said. “We have some folks who are very, very interested in being benefactors of the softball program, so we’re putting proposals in front of them to get some of the dollars necessary to build a stadium and start a program. I’ve kind of done that before, so I understand the timing of how that all works. Really excited about that opportunity.”
Miami is the sole “Big 3” Florida school that does not have a softball program, but the state is already home to two successful softball teams. Florida has reached the Women’s College World Series 11 times in the last 15 years and won a pair of national titles. Florida State has reached the WCWS 12 times and won two national titles. The Seminoles were the national runner-up last year.
South Florida is home to many successful high school programs that could help propel a UM softball team, and it would provide an opportunity to standout local athletics to stay close to home.
“It’s really something that’s important from my perspective is we continue to create great opportunities for young women here at the University of Miami,” Radakovich said.
