• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, June 24, 2025

College World Series Still Riding High Despite Just Missing Records

  • Tennessee defeated Texas A&M to win the school’s first baseball title.
  • In 2023, there was record attendance and TV viewership.
The Knoxville News-Sentinel

The men’s College World Series kept up most of the momentum it’s seen off the field in the past few years, but it wasn’t able to set any major new records as Tennessee won its first NCAA baseball championship, defeating Texas A&M in a three-game series.

After three consecutive years of record attendance, as well as a huge viewership spike last year, this month’s games in Omaha came up just short of setting new marks. Total attendance was 371,820, just under the 392,946 fans who made it to games at Charles Schwab Field in 2023, despite a new average game attendance record of 24,788.

Organizers were perhaps a little unlucky, as there were 12 games in the main bracket before the final series, as opposed to 13 last year, due to one less “if necessary” game.

Viewership on ESPN platforms averaged 1.56 million, down from last year’s all-time high of 1.65 million. The three-game Tennessee–Texas A&M final averaged 2.82 million viewers, just below the record 2.86 million for LSU-Florida in 2023. The winner-take-all Game 3 averaged 3.34 million, which is the second-largest CWS audience on ESPN behind the 3.59 million for Game 3 in last year’s final.

Seen and Heard 

The Volunteers had plenty of star-studded support as they were crowned champions. Spotted at the final game in Omaha were noted alum Peyton Manning and country music sensation Morgan Wallen, as well as fellow Tennessee coaches Josh Heupel (football) and Rick Barnes (basketball).

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Colleges Are Raising Student Fees to Pay for Athlete Revenue-Sharing

Schools are preparing to pay student athletes up to $20.5 million annually.

NBA Finals Game 7 Is Most-Watched Since 2019, but Series Drops 9%

Game 7 drew 16.35 million viewers, the most-watched NBA game since 2019.

NBA Conference Gap Wider Than Ever Amid Injuries to East’s Best

A team from the West has won the NBA title 17 times since 2000.

A’s Launch $1.75B Ballpark Build With Funding Puzzle Still Unsolved

Ground is broken in Las Vegas, but funding issues, Sacramento woes persist.

Featured Today

Mar 15, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) dribbles the ball upcourt against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half at Dickies Arena

NIL Is Shrinking the Pool of NBA Draft Entrants

Agents are now advising many players to stay in school.
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter on the red carpet before the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field
June 21, 2025

‘More Is More’: The Elite Luxury Jewelers Decking Out Athletes

Meet the elite group of luxury designers crafting the biggest statement pieces.
Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.
June 15, 2025

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.
Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park
June 14, 2025

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.

Pacers Force Game 7, Could Spark Big Ratings Boost for NBA Finals

Game 7 could boost NBA Finals ratings after a slow start this year.
June 17, 2025

Streaming Tops Linear for First Time, Sports Still Key to TV’s Resilience

Streaming hits another critical milestone in an accelerating media transition.
June 17, 2025

Stanley Cup Final Delivers Drama but Struggles for Eyeballs in U.S.

U.S. viewership fell while Canadian audiences for the event rose slightly.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Ted Leonsis unpacks basketball’s global rise, media rights, and portfolio ownership.
June 17, 2025

Zaslav Takes Pay Cut, TNT Sports Future Unclear in WBD Shake-Up

The TNT Sports parent company retools its executive pay after shareholder pushback.
Tyrese Haliburton
June 16, 2025

NBA Finals Ratings Up Again in Game 4 but Still Down Overall

More than nine million people watched Games 3 and 4.
Thunder
June 16, 2025

NBA, ABC Air Finals Lineup Intros After Fan Complaints

ABC aired player intros for the first time in 12 years Monday. 
June 16, 2025

The 10 Most-Watched Major PGA Tour Events

Call it “The Masters” and invite Tiger Woods—fans will watch.