Stricklin backs Walton after handshake controversy

Florida AD Scott Stricklin said he understood why the Gators didn’t shake hands after a tense Super Regional loss to Texas Tech—despite admitting he wasn’t focused on it at the time. He also pushed for College Football Playoff expansion, arguing the current fo

By the time Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin heard about the handshake decision, the weekend in Indianapolis had already moved on.

He was there over May 22-24, working with the NCAA Division I baseball tournament selection committee, and he watched some of Florida’s 16-7, five-inning Game 3 loss to Texas Tech. He didn’t hear until after the game that Florida players chose not to shake hands with the Red Raiders.

Stricklin called the series “highly charged” and said he respected the emotion behind the choice, even if it wasn’t something he had been watching closely. Florida’s season ended in that Super Regional, its first exit before the WCWS since 2023.

“It was a highly charged emotional weekend,” Stricklin said. “You are competing to go to the World Series. We have a pretty supportive fanbase so I’m sure the emotions are high. Tim (Walton) is as good a coach is there is in any sport in any school in the country. I imagine any decision he made there was in the spirit of trying to prevent further issues. I’d respect any decision he made.”.

The series didn’t stay calm. Stricklin pointed to the wider tension surrounding the matchup, a contest that included a fan ejection and former UF-turned-Texas Tech slugger Mia Williams getting hit five times in three games.

Florida coach Tim Walton was ejected before the end of UF’s 16-7 loss in the deciding Game 3. Walton said he wasn’t consulted on the decision not to shake hands, but he also thought it may have been the better move because of how anxious the series had become.

“On TV, they were saying there might be a bench-clearing brawl,” Walton said. “Never seen that in softball in my life.”

As the softball dust settled, Stricklin shifted to a different fight—one he’s actively engaged in at the moment. He’s at the SEC Spring Meetings at the Sandestin Resort. where much of the focus has centered on the potential expansion of the College Football Playoff. Stricklin is a proponent of expanding it.

“We have a math problem,” Stricklin said. “We have 68 power conference schools and there’s 11 spots right, and there’s no other sport we sponsor where fewer than half of our teams in the SEC get in the postseason.”

He compared the current structure to other major leagues, using what he described as a familiar standard in American sports.

“If you look at NFL, you have 32 teams with 14 spots, NBA, others have half their teams get in. That’s a pretty accepted standard in American sports and the sport that we have that generated the most revenue, has the most engagement… we have a fraction of that.”

For now, Stricklin said he doesn’t know what the right number of teams should be.

“We don’t know if the answer is 16 or 24 teams at this point,” he said.

He also emphasized that he wants more evaluation before anyone declares a winner in the debate.

“We need a lot more evaluation to understand where the value is on the market in the media marketplace. from a rights standpoint. ” Stricklin said. “I think we need to understand the impact it does have on the regular season. I am candidly one of those who doesn’t think it will negatively impact the regular season if we expand. but I don’t know if we have enough data or research to even understand that. It’s just people giving their opinions.”.

Florida Gators Scott Stricklin Tim Walton Texas Tech softball Super Regional handshake controversy College Football Playoff expansion SEC Spring Meetings WCWS