Illinois is the fifth most popular state for college softball, according to a Higher Education Tribune analysis of federal data.
Illinois fielded 1,562 softball players in 2016, according to data reported to the U.S. Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education by more than 2,000 schools that participate in federal financial aid programs.
There are 31,936 college softball players in the U.S., including 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.
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Most popular states for college softball
| State | Players | |
| 1 | California | 2,422 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | 2,036 |
| 3 | New York | 1,948 |
| 4 | Texas | 1,742 |
| 5 | Illinois | 1,562 |
| 6 | Ohio | 1,194 |
| 7 | Florida | 1,122 |
| 8 | Missouri | 1,014 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 977 |
| 10 | Kansas | 965 |
| 11 | Michigan | 955 |
| 12 | Georgia | 869 |
| 13 | North Carolina | 854 |
| 14 | Alabama | 850 |
| 15 | Iowa | 831 |
| 16 | Tennessee | 830 |
| 17 | Indiana | 704 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | 702 |
| 19 | Minnesota | 692 |
| 20 | New Jersey | 639 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 608 |
| 22 | Virginia | 594 |
| 23 | Mississippi | 582 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | 567 |
| 25 | Kentucky | 549 |
| 26 | Washington | 468 |
| 27 | Oregon | 454 |
| 28 | Nebraska | 442 |
| 29 | Maryland | 424 |
| 30 | West Virginia | 385 |
| 31 | Louisiana | 376 |
| 32 | Arkansas | 371 |
| 33 | Connecticut | 352 |
| 34 | Arizona | 349 |
| 35 | Colorado | 335 |
| 36 | North Dakota | 244 |
| 37 | Maine | 218 |
| 38 | Utah | 205 |
| 39 | South Dakota | 191 |
| 40 | Rhode Island | 181 |
| 41 | New Mexico | 158 |
| 42 | New Hampshire | 154 |
| 43 | Puerto Rico | 130 |
| 44 | Idaho | 120 |
| 45 | Washington D.C. | 112 |
| 46 | Vermont | 110 |
| 47 | Montana | 104 |
| 48 | Delaware | 96 |
| 49 | Hawaii | 82 |
| 50 | Nevada | 67 |
| 51 | Alaska | 0 |
| 51 | Wyoming | 0 |
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