Patti Gasso wants change.
The Oklahoma softball head coach appeared on the ESPNPlus show “Stephen A’s World” to discuss their recent title. From there, the coach gave her thoughts about the ongoing inequities between men’s and women’s sports in the NCAA.
Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso spoke out about the facilities at the WCWS. pic.twitter.com/eXR2DeemZN— ESPN+ (@ESPNPlus) June 14, 2021
Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso spoke out about the facilities at the WCWS. pic.twitter.com/eXR2DeemZN
“As much as people enjoy watching us — and there’s a lot of revenue and a lot of eyes on this championship, it’s the fastest growing sport that America is watching, and the numbers show it — and yet, we’re still not being treated or have the same opportunities, amenities that others do,” Gasso said. “And it’s sad for me.”
The 2021 WCWS was the most-watched on record, a trend that has continued to permeate women’s sports throughout the year. Yet, as Gasso points out, there’s still a long way to go in making sure there’s equal treatment.
“We deserve a better bracket, better timing, we deserve instant replay,” she said. “We deserve locker rooms. We deserve showers. We deserve batting cages.”
“We have to go find our own cages, otherwise our teams are gonna stand out in the hot sun taking batting practice in one cage and on an open field. That’s unheard of. That is absolutely unheard of.”