Softball On SI

Oregon Softball’s ‘College GameDay’ Sign Goes Viral With Perfect Dig at USC

Where's your softball team, USC?
Maren Angus-Coombs|
Multiple Oregon softball players appeared on ESPN's 'College GameDay' Saturday morning with the perfect sign.
Multiple Oregon softball players appeared on ESPN's 'College GameDay' Saturday morning with the perfect sign. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Rivalries among college athletes are always a fun time, except for when one school doesn't participate in the same sports.

When ESPN's College GameDay crew rolled into Eugene, Ore., on Saturday morning, some of the softball players created a sign with the perfect dig at Southern California.

"Where's your softball team?"

To those who don't pay attention to softball, the sign might be confusing, but for those who are invested, the sign is subtle and hilarious. USC is the only Big Ten school not to have a softball team.

The moment was captured by the X account, @SoftballPortal and had several softball personalities asking the same question.

Beth Mowins pleaded with the USC athletic department by sharing the post and writing, "Come on USC, join the #MAYhem …and bring Miami and Vandy with you! #WCWS"

Instead of having softball, USC participates in lacrosse and water polo. Neither of those sports is even sponsored by the Big Ten.

However, Mowins brings up a decades-old question that fans have been asking about USC, Vandy and Miami. Why isn't there softball?

In May 2025, Softball On SI explored 11 NCAA Division I baseball programs that participated in the postseason tournament but didn't have a female equivalent on the diamond.

All three of the aforementioned baseball programs are powerhouses. They are located in parts of the country that excel in softball, particularly in high school and club ball, and their respective conferences are considered to be among the best.

Vanderbilt is the only SEC school without softball, and Miami is one of three ACC schools not to field a program. Wake Forest and Southern Methodist are the other two.

When it comes to Power 4 conferences lacking softball programs, the Big 12 leads the way. There are 16 members, but only 11 of them play softball.

The five schools missing out are Cincinnati, Kansas State, Texas Christian, West Virginia, and Colorado.

Oregon, Melyssa Lombardi Land Top 10 Recruiting Class

Oregon head coach Melyssa Lombardi brought in the No. 10 recruiting class in the country for 2026. The Ducks were the only school outside of the SEC to be ranked in the Top 10, according to Softball America.

The previous highest ranked class was in 2023 when the Ducks were No. 13.

  • No. 33: Bailey Goldberg (Henderson, Nev.)
  • No. 35: Analise DeWitt (Williamsburg, Iowa)
  • No. 41: Piper Cavanaugh (Traverse City, Mich.)
  • No. 96: Kylie Tafua (Orange, Calif.)
  • No. 105: Ava Fiumara (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.)
  • No. 110: Rylee Ruppel (Maple Ridge, B.C.)

"We are really excited to sign a recruiting class with exceptional student-athletes from all over the United States and Canada," said Lombardi via a press release. "We look forward to welcoming them and their families into our Duck family.

"The athleticism of these six signees is through the roof," said Lombardi. "They are strong, athletic and powerful players who can flat-out compete. This class will make a significant impact as freshmen. They are a special group and I know our fans will appreciate their drive to win and compete for championships."

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. She has been covering college softball since 2016 for various outlets including Softball America, ESPNW and Hurrdat Sports. She is currently the managing editor of Softball On SI and also serves as an analyst for Nebraska softball games on Nebraska Public Media and B1G+.

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