College World Series might offer glimpse of future with only SEC and ACC teams in the field
The College World Series opens Friday at Charles Schwab Field and, for the first time since the event expanded to eight teams in 1950, only two conferences will be represented on the college game’s biggest stage
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The College World Series begins this week and only two conferences will be represented on the game's biggest stage for the first time since the event expanded to eight teams in 1950.
The Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference each are sending four teams, the SEC for the fourth time since 2015 and seventh overall and the ACC for the first time since 2006.
Their exclusivity this year hints at an even greater concentration of power in the sport as college athletics moves into an era where players, already able to transfer around freely, can make more money than ever, scholarship limits are likely to be removed and the richest schools pour more resources into facilities.
The CWS opens Friday with an all-ACC matchup between North Carolina (47-14) and Virginia (46-15) and Tennessee (55-12) of the SEC playing Florida State (47-15) of the ACC. Games the next day match Kentucky (45-14) of the SEC against the ACC's North Carolina State (38-21) and Texas A&M (49-13) against Florida (34-28) in an all-SEC meeting.
