Amy Hogue talking @Utah_Softball, @theAUSLofficial, NIL + more

We are live today at the Dumkey Family Stadium on the campus of the University of Utah. It is the return a professional softball to our great city in this great venue here in Salt Lake, right outside well, right on campus. Essentially, we're giving away tickets for the game tonight. Also have a grip of t shirts I'm giving away as well. All you have to do is come on

How are you?

I'm great, I'm glad to be here with you.

Are you really It's really hot?

It is hot. I'm wondering why they put you out here.

Do you know? I am acting like a diva today. I'm not gonna lie.

When I walked up and saw the tent and said, like Porter, my producer is probably so sick of me. I am stunned that we're outside, But hey, I'm a man of the people. Amy, I'm gonna make it to six o'clock. Okay, I'm in a grind, That's what I do.

It was grass.

At least putting it on the grass and sent the pavement could have been easy.

Yeah, well, seg Well, if you would like to run our promotions department in addition to your duties coaching the softball team, please let me know. But it was great to meet you in person. I've interviewed you before, but we've never met.

Yeah, it was amazing to me when I just sug your hand and hadn't met you before.

That's crazy, But it's great to meet you.

So tell me the significance of an event like this for somebody like you who coaches softball.

Here to you?

Well, I was telling them last night when they interviewed me on ESPN two when the game was on, that I couldn't have even dreamed this up. I mean, I grew up here, and I played high school here, in college here, and started coaching here, and none of this was even in our brains as a possibility. So overwhelmed is probably one of the words I would think of but it's just getting better all the time because now we can see what it can become and getting really excited for the future of this sport.

And you have some former players playing in the game tonight. Tell us about the players positions and kind of your relationship with them.

Yes, we have three two on one team. The talents have Hannah Flipping and Mariah Lopez both played for me.

Mariah just last year and.

She's a remember Mariah.

Yeah, she's starting the game tomorrow nights. If you want to come see your pitch, show up tomorrow night. And then Hannah Flipping started every day at second base for me for four years. And then on the other team, the Blaze, we have Anissa Ortez and she was my shortstop alongside of Hannah.

For all four years.

So the two of them are both shortstops playing against each other for this series. So it's pretty fun to see them on both sides.

So I asked you this off air.

Outside of being the unofficial mayor of everything softball here on campus, what are your official duties with an event such as this tonight.

Yeah, it's kind of fun.

Like showing up the day before everyone came, I found myself just like if you're having your in laws visit, cleaning that house and making.

Sure it's just right.

And then I've tried to stay out of their way because an event like this needs a lot of people and a lot of work, and I knew that the way they run, they just want us out of the way. They want us open the door and let them do their things. So they've been doing a great job. We have a lot of our staff helping and our players helping. But I've just gotten to walk around and enjoy being at the stadium and not feel like I was in charge of pretty much anything.

So it's nice to relax a little bit, is what you're saying.

Yeah, they said they were going to sell alcohol and they blew that, so that's happening, but relaxing nonetheless.

Okay, good for you. So you were a student athlete here? Where'd you go to high school? By the way, I'm talta, you're an outsit girl.

Okay, And then you tell what positions or position.

Did you play?

Yeah, I played second base for both high school and second base for high school.

I'm for the college here, so every day second base.

Very nice? How have you?

I know you reference that you look around and your mind is blown that we're doing what we're doing tonight.

But how has the sport grown?

I was part of the group that brought real Salt Lake care right, and so I understand the challenge of bringing a sport that isn't necessarily familiar to the masses and trying to grow it and trying to sell it. And quite frankly, it's an ever you know, changing landscape

And then nationally.

I mean, the ratings for the Softball World Series are through the roof.

ESPN gets a lot of eyes on that.

Yeah, all those things that you set are through, including all of the parallels with all the other sports that have been ahead of us in doing professional level stuff and bringing it into cities like ours. I'm really impressed with what it is. Not only that profession all sports is happening for the like WNBA and those that are coming out with with soccer, like you said, but what I love is just the people that are coming out, Like I just saw people stand in another tree. I

And you're all part of the ecosystem.

She's gonna make it go. She's got it figured out. She came over and brought Major League Baseball with her, and you know, the game tonight is on MLB Networks, and I think it's really important that we understand that that's what's been missing, and we have her now and she's gonna make it go. I talked to her for a good forty five minutes for the game yesterday and have never been more impressed with someone.

And I've seen a lot that have tried tried to get this to go.

Our sport's too good for it to not go at some point, and I like that she's the leader of this.

Tell me about your squad this year. What are you expecting? Give me, Give me some names to watch out for. Give me, give me some storylines for your team this year.

Yeah, I love it.

We had a lot of new kids last year on our team, so we had a backwards step as far as wins and losses. And this year we have a incoming freshmen. We have two senior pitchers that haven't thrown in inn for me, and I think it's really important that we make steps forward, even as we had a cremmy year last year. I think that some names are

So I won't do too much of it.

Oh, I like it.

But we have some returning kids that I think have some some growth that we need from them, including our starting shortstop I'm.

Going to ask my program director to get me back online, as my computer just refreshed as I was looking up some information because where I wanted.

To go next.

Is it Texas Tech who just paid a softball player million dollars a year?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right.

That's good investment, That's what I thought.

So I wonder Amy.

Of course, we talked about this through the prism of NIL collectives and football and basketball and what it means for you know, the sports that people kind of know about. How has the changing landscape, includion athletics affected your job in your program.

Well, here's what's happened. There's women that are getting scholarships that didn't used to get them. So the increase in the roster size and the scholarship numbers that just changed is going to benefit these women, and that's what I'm all about.

Good.

So there's a few obviously that are paying.

Beyond that, there's you know that that was life changing money for that young woman that was in a wonderful program in a wonderful situation at Stanford, who now they paid off mom's house and all the things. So there's no way I'm not going to believe that that's good thing for sure. But our scholarship numbers improved, and I think there's a lot of programs in the country that

Does it change anything as far as the ability to go out and pitch your program when you're on the recruiting recruiting trail a little bit?

You know, we had to be pretty creative with twelve that was the max for anybody in softball, and we took a lot of kids from the West because it was cheaper for them to come to school here with that scholarship we get from a Western school or a Western state. So now my footprints beer with big twelve. So getting a Texas kid is easier with the scholarship money that I've got.

I don't have the only recruit from the.

West so much so, and you reference the conference change, I'm not going to tell you that I'm overly educated on this dynamic of yours. It feels like maybe it's a bigger challenge though the softball competition of the Big twelve is probably a little stiffer.

Is that fair to say?

It's actually not?

Okay?

The Pac twelve is historically much tougher. Of recent we had some of the you know, Texas Tech improve their program and some others are paying.

Some big numbers.

But RPI wise as a conference, Pack twelve has always been bigger.

But it's quite a.

Different type of a game. They play more of the long ball. The pack was a little more of a speed game, which is kind of what we did. So we'll acclimate see what it is we need to do to win.

So as far as long ball versus speed game, how would you articulate what you anticipate with your team this year?

Is it maybe a little bit of both.

Yeah, a little more of a long ball than I'm used to. I like the speed game. I think we're a little slow. I'd like us to pick that up a little bit. Our park's the biggest one in the entire country.

Oh is it really?

So you can't just put a hitter out and right field and think you're not going to.

Pay for it.

So so yeah, I mean we added late and the kids that I'm recruiting that are showing up today are a little quicker, so we got a little lot of balance, But we also had a really speedy team when we went to the World Series in twenty three. So for me, it feels like whiplash, but we'll get more balanced by the end.

It was what was twenty three like for you?

I mean it really I think introduced your program to a lot of people around here that maybe didn't necessarily have the familiar relationship. So what did that year do for you your program and just kind of the exposure that you get here locally and then maybe they're a recruiting footprint that maybe feels a little bit bigger.

Yeah, it was fun because last night it was reminiscent of twenty three. We hosted supers here and won it and went to the World Series, but this Donkey Stadium was lit up, and that's how it felt, you know, last night with the pro game, and you know, there are a lot of contributing factors to that, but what I mostly realized is there's a lot of fans in this state, and if we're putting a good product on the field, they're going to show up, and if we're not,

We play early March and it's cold.

So when they bought season tickets at the end of the spring in twenty three, it was eighty degrees and we were playing under the lights, and they bought season tickets and I told them it needs to come with a football sized puffy coat because it's a little chilly. But you know, I think, if anything, and open their eyes to what we have going over here. And we've had more people ever since.

Does it feel like I don't know, the US women's national team in soccer when I was kind of growing up, was very popular. Popularity has continued to grow and they're still you know, they win in a way that our men's team doesn't. The WNBA is certainly having a moment with Kaitlyn Clark and Angel Reese and you know they're flying private. Their salaries have jumped through the roof. I mean, I could give you stat after stat after stat, and

It doesn't feel like that. It is.

It is.

Okay, you nailed it.

I mean, and it doesn't matter if I'm softball, I'm talking about basketball. I'm talking about Lindsay Vaughn and what she did. I'm talking about we support each other, which is why all of the women's sports are continuing to go up. And if we continue to, you know, champion each other. And you know, even I talked with our commissioner, and you know, they have ideas of expanding this league and copying some of the things that the WNBA is doing.

Well, that's that's excellent. Here.

Let me go back to nil for a moment, just because I find it so fascinating to talk to college coaches with his landscape, what sort of.

Endeavors are you undertake?

Because it's one thing, you know, the school now has the twenty point five mil. The splits are the splits when it comes to football, basketball, and then what's left over for everybody else?

Actually, let me ask you that, how does that land with you?

You know, it's it's always a sticky, you know, kind of tricky conversation about revenue generation and then okay, are they revenue generating sports because they've received coverage and exposure for thirty forty fifty years or whatever it is. We haven't had that exposure. If we had the exposure, maybe we'd be generating revenue. I mean, I do understand all

It's great, all of it's great.

I think everyone's trying to get a hot take on that, and some of them are biting on it.

And I'm a half glass fool.

I like the attitude for person, and I'm not in charge of the split.

Their job's really hard.

And I was just in my boss's office and what they do is ridiculous as far as stress and trying to figure out how to be equitable. And if they didn't care about that, then I'd probably be a little bit more worried about trying to champion my young ladies.

But they are.

They do care about that, and they think about it and talk about it all the time. Yea, And so I trust them and I get to let them stay in there lane, and I'm going to stay in mine and be grateful for the fact that they just gave me a whole lot more than I had before.

Oh that's a great attitude to have. How much interaction do you have with the other coaches on campus or are you pretty insulated or does it feel like the athletic department is under one umbrella and is a big family.

I think it's like every area probably of anyone's job. You can keep yourself to yourself. I mean, my stadium's over here, a office over here, a lot. But just like I was saying about the women's sports supporting each other, I tap into them. I tap into all those other coaches because they help me become better with my program. So that's for me to do, and I do it. Because I want to get better all the time, and those that want to get better, we collaborate. And I

So I know some dumkies. I went to the you in the nineties, signa Kai Okay in Hokee. I know you're impressed with that. The dumkies. You know, ultimately there's some in our fraturnity. I don't know all the family. What does their contribution mean to your program? What does this facility mean your program?

Yeah.

I remember riding in a golf cart up that ramp with Zeke Zeke yeah, yea. And he first asked me, you know, how good is the baseball team? And I said they're good, you know, like he was so lovely, and he talked about his desire to put his entire family's name on this place.

And I just listened to him talk that.

Day and it was fun because a lot of times you don't get as much time as I got that day with someone who has their name on it. And I asked him why not Zeke on the stadium because he was the one that was the big presence for us, and he said he wanted his family on it. So I think what's fun is that's what started this place.

And to hear his story and.

Be there for all of that, still be here and be able to tell my team about him and about what he started. There's been a lot money since then, but it was pretty special. And when people try to figure out, you know, how to say their name, I make sure they know the story.

We all know how to say it around here. If you're connected to the University of Utah, you know the Donkey family.

What's the capacity?

That's a good question, Okay. I know we had over two thousand here.

They said it was sellout, but I think we had closer to three thousand when we had the I mean using the entire birm and we had the supers here. All I know is that there's there's plenty more grass up there. We keep bringing them, they said, with fire code, we might need to knock down a fence or two to call it an exit, you know, and then we can add in another three hundred or five hundred. I'm like, we'll be ready with a bulldozer. We want to blow

I'm going to ask your question I know the answer to, but I'm gonna ask you anyway, because there's this like, uh, I don't I don't want to say movement, but there's some conversation about college football in the future, not including school like at all.

You don't know, you don't need to go to class, you know, if you want to play.

College football, because it is such a big business, it's going to look like the NFL. How do you balance your the asks that you have of your athletes with their their schoolwork.

How important is that to you?

Yeah, it changed a lot since COVID.

I mean we've asked the same all the time, but nowadays they can take so many classes online that traveling during a midweek to wherever we want to go is actually possible. But I think the balance and the health side of it is important to me. So one hundred percent of the student athletes that have played for me for four years have graduated.

Hundred percent of.

The kids that have played four years, and most of the transfers as well. But I think it's really important to have that continue to be first students first, That's why it's student athlete. And there's some majors that since COVID have put some of their in person classes, like some of the health science stuff in the middle of the day.

That's when we practice.

And if they want to tackle that, come late to practice or leave early. That's what they're going to do for the rest of a light so for their life hopefully, and we'll accommodate that. But you know, I think that balance is something that allow these young kids that are competing at the highest level they don't know anything about. So I think I'm a good mentor for that. Iving three kids and doing this job for as long as I have, for sure, it is really important to be a model for them.

I did want to ask you about how you handle nil and what does that look like for you. I mean, do your players come to you and say, hey, I just found out that I can do this.

Now, what do I do?

Or do you have connections in the community where you say, here's a number you can call and they'll pay you one hundred bucks to go.

I don't know. How does that space look like? What does that space look like for you?

Yeah, we have someone in the department that handles out thankfully, and they have training, they learn how to do it. They all get set up early in the year so that they know exactly how they can do it if they want to pursue a lot. Some of them do absolutely nothing with it, and others show up every day with these bags of treats and said, hey, let's take pictures eating these, and then I get X, Y and Z money and that benefits all of us. Some of those treats are really good.

Is a lot of its social media? Is it the TikTok and Instagram?

And yeah, okay, yeah, it seems like the ones getting the best deals are the ones with the biggest numbers.

Okay, do you use any social media? Are you on any of the platforms? No?

It's funny because yesterday I did my first TikTok of my all like, how to do is stand there? So maybe I'll do more because I just had to stand next to Hannah and Mariah as they did one. I don't know how to look and see if it did well or whatever that means, but I know it's important.

So outsourcing, yes, that's the way to do it. You know. I kind of have to have it for the job, but I don't enjoy it.

And so anybody that wants to post for me, please go right ahead, because it's just it's not my world. Think probably close to the same age didn't grow up with this being part of a reality. All right, Amy, before I say you lose, tell us about what's happening here tonight. Give our listeners the reasons why they need to come show up.

Yeah, we need to sell this place out. We sold it out last night. We have three more nights of this. We're not sold out. That's disappointing. I know that last night. We sold out a little easier because some of the young teams around here weren't playing ballgames and there's tournaments starting today, so none of those young kids know their schedule yet. Hopefully they're done and they can still come back.

Is that six o'clock?

It is ok, And you can.

Get in the gate and pick a shady seat because those are hard to come by today, and I think it's important to watch. Even I watched the pre game and see if I need to tweak some things. But coaches around here, I offer a clinic in January for coaches and they're so thankful every time. But all you need to do is come out, watch them do their pregame and take notes because even though your kids are only ten years old, and these kids out here, you know,

And it was a good time last night for sure.

So and it won't be as hot because it'll be starting at seven thirty.

Exactly when's opening day for you guys.

Oh my gosh.

We play eight games in the fall that don't really count, but the spring starts quick second week of February usually, and we usually have our first twenty five games on the road.

So we'll be back in Salt Lake March fifteen days.

Okay, Amy, thank you for stopping by. It's great to meet you in person. Enjoy the festiv Is festivies tonight. And if we could ever do anything for you, please reach out.

Okay, and if I could get you some Americ condition and I'll get the.

Man I had forgotten because we were having such a lovely conversation.

Amy, thank you so much.

All right, go all right.

Amy hug the head coach of the Utah softball team. She's been a part of the program for twenty seven years. She was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame Utah Athletics Hall of Fame in twenty twenty two, and we are live today at the Dumkey Family Stadium in preparation for tonight's game.

Come on buy and say hello.

It starts at seven thirty, but as Amy said, you can get here at six o'clock when the gates open and watch warm ups. It is the return of professional softball to Salt Lake City the Dunkey Family Stadium, and we are just right on campus. The best thing for you to do is just pull up your Google Maps or your Ways or whatever you use Apple Maps and search Dumkey Family Stadium and just follow the directions. I mean, we're right on campus. You can't miss us. And we