Division I · Big West Conference
University of California, San Diego Softball
San Diego, CA · the Tritons · University of California, San Diego overview
25
Roster
at the D-I cap of 25
$1.3M
Team budget
64th percentile in Division I
$52,317
Per roster spot
median $46,727
3
Coaches
1 head · 2 assistant
25%
Admitted
top quarter for selectivity
University of California, San Diego fields a softball team in the Big West Conference (NCAA Division I). In 2024–25 the roster carried 25 players, about the median of 23, with 1 head coach and 2 assistants. Team expenses were $1,307,929, above the median of $1.1M — $52,317 per roster spot, upper half of Division I softball programs. That is exactly the Division I roster cap of 25 in force from 2025-26. The school gave $3,511,419 in athletic aid across its women's teams, about $10,939 per roster spot.
Among Division I softball programs
Where this program sits against its 305 peers (percentile; the tick is the median).
#111Team budgetof 305 · Division I#131Spend per playerof 305 · Division I#66Roster sizeof 305 · Division I
Team budgets across the division
this programevery Division I softball program
Roster sizes (cap 25)
this programevery Division I roster
The program
- Roster25 2024–25 season
- Division I roster cap25 at the cap
- Coaching staff1 head, 2 assistant
- Team expenses$1,307,929 for the year
- Operating expenses$391,474 game-day and travel
- Spend per roster spot$52,317 division median $46,727
- Athletic aid, women's teams$3,511,419 school-wide
- Aid per roster spot$10,939 across women's teams
- Recruiting spend, women's$222,113 school-wide
Coaching staff
| Name | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Nikki Palmer head coach | Head Coach | On file · sign in |
| Brittney Fernandez | Assistant Coach | not on file |
| Megan Wachholtz | Assistant Coach | On file · sign in |
| Shelby Thompson | Pitching Coach | On file · sign in |
| Rafa Guzman | Recruiting Coordinator and Player Development | On file · sign in |
Put University of California, San Diego on a target list, address the whole staff at once, and send each email yourself from Gmail — nothing goes out without you pressing Send.Start your board
Recruiting timing
- Coaches may first contact youSeptember 1 of junior year
- Your own emailsAny time the rule limits what coaches send back
- High-school softball players338,315 2024-25
- Division I roster spots7,038 305 programs
- Odds of a spot1 in 48 2.1% of high-school players hold a Division I roster spot
General NCAA rule for Division I; the softball recruiting guide has the date for each grad year, the eligibility checklist and what to put in a first email.
About the school
What an athlete asks first — each panel opens the full picture.Campus
Full picture →33,792undergraduates · 42,376 students in all
Women 52% Men 48%
- Setting
- City
- Type
- Public · Research university
- Affiliation
- None
Getting in
Full picture →25%admitted · of 130,771 applicants
- Test scores
- Scores not considered
- Graduate in 6 yrs
- 88%
Softball
Full picture →25on the roster · 2024–25 season
Roster vs the D-I cap of 2525
exactly at the cap
- Team expenses
- $1,307,929 $52,317 per roster spot · upper half of Division I
- Coaches
- 1 head · 2 assistant
- Athletic aid, women's teams
- $3,511,419
- Recruiting spend, women's
- $222,113
Cost
Full picture →$13,293net price · after grants, aided first-years
Net price by family income
- Tuition & fees
- $15,265 in-state · $46,042 out
Campus safety
Full picture →1.1violent offences per 1,000 · students a year, 2022–2024
- In residence halls
- 32 burglaries · 60 sex offences over 2022–2024
- Residence-hall fires
- 55 over 2022–2024
Majors
Full picture →21%of bachelor's degrees in biological sciences · 22 fields · Bachelor's, Doctorate, Master's
Research University of California, San Diego
School pages built around what an athlete needs to know — the program's money and roster room, admissions fit, what a family really pays, majors, campus life and safety.
Softball program25 on the rosterPeers, percentiles, nearby programs, comparisonsRankingsWhere it standsEvery list this school is on, nationally and in its divisionAdmissions25% admittedSAT/ACT ladders, test policy, graduationCost & aid$13,293 net priceSticker vs net price by family income, athletic aidMajorsBiological sciences · 21%Every field and program with degrees awardedCampusCity · 33,792Setting, who is on campus, housing costs, servicesCampus safety1.1 violent / 1,000Three years of reported offences against the divisionAthleticsEvery teamThe whole department: every team, staff and aid
Softball programs within 150 miles
| School | Miles | Roster | Budget | APR | Admitted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of San Diego Division I · West Coast Conference | 8 | 23 | $1.6M | 992 | 47% | |
| San Diego State University Division I · Pac-12 Conference | 12 | 24 | $1.9M | 983 | 34% | |
| California State University, San Marcos Division II · California Collegiate Athletic Association | 18 | 26 | $529k | — | 96% | |
| Concordia University Irvine Division II · Pacific West Conference | 63 | 23 | $864k | — | 60% | |
| Vanguard University Division II · Pacific West Conference | 66 | 28 | $523k | — | 65% | |
| Chapman University Division III · Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conf. | 73 | 30 | $277k | — | 56% | |
| California Baptist University Division I · Big West Conference | 73 | 28 | $2M | 974 | 74% | |
| University of California, Riverside Division I · Big West Conference | 76 | 24 | $886k | 967 | 63% | |
| California State University, Fullerton Division I · Big West Conference | 79 | 22 | $1.6M | 979 | 87% | |
| Long Beach State University Division I · Big West Conference | 80 | 26 | $1.3M | 983 | 47% | |
| University of Redlands Division III · Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conf. | 82 | 26 | $307k | — | 81% | |
| Biola University Division II · Pacific West Conference | 84 | 20 | $640k | — | 60% |
Other softball programs in the Big West Conference
| School | Roster | Budget | Per player | APR | Compare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Baptist University 3 over cap | 28 | $2M | $70,822 | 974 | vs | |
| University of California, Santa Barbara room for 4 | 21 | $1.6M | $76,940 | 966 | vs | |
| California State University, Fullerton room for 3 | 22 | $1.6M | $72,277 | 979 | vs | |
| Long Beach State University 1 over cap | 26 | $1.3M | $50,844 | 983 | vs | |
| University of California, San Diego at cap | 25 | $1.3M | $52,317 | — | vs | |
| California State University, Sacramento 1 over cap | 26 | $1.1M | $42,580 | 976 | vs | |
| California State University, Northridge 3 over cap | 28 | $1M | $37,086 | 994 | vs | |
| California Polytechnic State University room for 2 | 23 | $1M | $45,122 | 997 | vs | |
| California State University, Bakersfield 3 over cap | 28 | $995k | $35,548 | 980 | vs | |
| Utah Valley University room for 4 | 21 | $987k | $47,011 | 982 | vs | |
| University of California, Riverside room for 1 | 24 | $886k | $36,930 | 967 | vs |
Every Big West Conference softball program · Softball budgets ranked