• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Front Office Sports Honors winners are here! View the 2025 winners

SEC Stranglehold on College Baseball Continues

The conference got 11 baseball teams into the NCAA Tournament with eight of them set to host regionals this weekend.

Tennessee pitcher Brayden Krenzel (34) pitches during a NCAA baseball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on May 11, 2025.
Imagn Images

The SEC’s dominance in basketball season has carried onto the baseball diamond. 

The conference, which has a historically strong reputation for baseball, batted .500 on Sunday, after eight of the 16 regional host sites for the NCAA baseball tournament were awarded to its schools. The number ties the conference’s own record, which was set in 2023. 

Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, and Vanderbilt will each open regional play in their own ballparks. In total, the SEC got 13 of its 16 members into the tournament with Mississippi State, Auburn, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Florida all receiving at-large bids. 

The Atlantic Coast Conference had three teams selected as hosts. 

The SEC has won the past five College World Series, dating back to 2019 with Vanderbilt before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the 2020 season. The past three World Series finals have pitted two SEC schools against each other with Tennessee defeating Texas A&M for the 2024 title. Oklahoma made the 2022 title game as a member of the Big 12, before joining the SEC in 2024. 

In March, the SEC set a record for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, getting 14 schools in the Big Dance. The previous record was 11 by the Big East in 2011. 

Baseball programs traditionally don’t make money for their schools, but a few SEC members do, as most SEC schools are in states that lack major league teams. LSU, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt are among the top revenue generators in baseball with five- to six-figure profits. This year’s College World Series is the last before the House v. NCAA settlement likely gets approved, which will lead to revenue sharing in college sports. Non-revenue sports such as baseball will likely be impacted, which could impact their future success. 

The College World Series will begin on June 13 in Omaha, Neb. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Annual Football Season Tradition: A High-Stakes Media Blackout Fight

The ongoing Fox–YouTube TV dispute marks an annual media tradition.

MLB Unveils 2026 Schedule As Big Changes Loom Soon After

Next year’s slate could be among the last in the current format.
Babe Ruth

Man With Babe Ruth’s Name Charged With MLB Identity Thefts

George Herman Ruth, 69, used hundreds of false names and Social Security numbers.

6 Burning Questions About Reimagined MLB Rights Deals

MLB’s rights are changing significantly, but questions still remain.

Featured Today

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up as the Texas Longhorns prepare to play the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.
August 23, 2025

Schools Are Hesitant to Allow PE Into Their Athletic Departments

Regardless of budget, schools don’t believe the risk is worth the reward.
Oct 2, 2024; Rosemont, IL, USA; Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti speaks with the media during the 2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball media day at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.
August 22, 2025

‘Not Ready to Jump In’: Power 4 Commissioners Aren’t Sold on PE

Top leaders in college sports have yet to see a satisfactory proposal.
Oct 17, 2015; Evanston, IL, USA; A general view of the Northwestern Wildcats logo at midfield before the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Ryan Field.

Northwestern AD Singles Out Volleyball As Sport to Invest In

Northwestern athletic director Mark Jackson spoke to Front Office Sports.
August 25, 2025

$12.5M Freshman Bryce Underwood Named Michigan’s Starting QB

The Wolverines paid big money to land the highly touted recruit.
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) is tackled by Clemson Tigers defensive tackle Payton Page (55) during the second half of the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
August 25, 2025

As College Football Season Kicks Off, NIL Deal Approval Process Still Lags

Many deals are stuck in “purgatory,” one power conference collective operator says.
Sponsored

Building A Pro League From Scratch

Front Office Sports and Gainbridge® spotlight what it takes to build a professional women’s soccer league.
McDonald's All-American
August 22, 2025

NCAA Considers Making High School Athletes Register NIL Deals

The rule would likely be tested in court if adopted.
Nov 23, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin looks at quarterback Drew Allar (15) during the first quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium.
August 22, 2025

Private Equity Enters College Sports—Without the Equity

As college football starts, lending agreements have become PE’s best way in.
August 22, 2025

SEC Adopts 9-Game Conference Schedule As CFP Changes Loom

The conference matches schedule formats used by the Big Ten and Big 12.
Pat Fitzgerald
August 21, 2025

Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern Settle Lawsuit Over Firing

Fitzgerald has insisted he had no knowledge of hazing on the team.