How the Men’s College World Series Works

Each year, the best college baseball teams compete in the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament, vying for the chance to play in Omaha in the Men’s College World Series.

Here’s how the NCAA Division I baseball tournament works, including history and format.

What is the difference between the Division I baseball tournament and the Men’s College World Series?

The NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament is a 64-team tournament held in the spring. After two rounds of play (which each include several matches), only eight teams remain. These eight teams then head to Omaha, Nebraska, for the Men’s College World Series. The MCWS is the culmination of the DI tournament, where teams compete in two brackets, with the winners of each meeting in the MCWS Finals, a best-of-three series to decide the NCAA champion.

When did the Men’s College World Series start?

The very first NCAA Division I baseball tournament took place in 1947 and would barely be recognized as the same tournament today. The 1947 tournament featured only eight teams, divided into two single-elimination brackets of four teams. The two winners – California and Yale – then met in a best-of-three final in Kalamazoo, Michigan. California went undefeated in the first CWS and defeated Yale to win the first title.

MCWS HISTORY: Coaches with the most wins | Most titles | Most appearances | Most represented conferences

How has the NCAA Division I baseball tournament changed since its inception?

The tournament has grown significantly since 1947. There are currently 64 teams competing in four rounds (two double-elimination brackets, two best-of-three series) for the title.

Here are the main changes to the tournament, as they happened:

• 1948: First round playoffs changed to double elimination.
• 1949: The Finals is expanded to a four-team, double-elimination format, and the site is changed to Wichita, Kansas.
• 1950: The site moves to Omaha, Nebraska.
• 1954: The field expands to 23 teams. The field size fluctuates between 21 and 32 over the next two decades. In the 22 years between 1954 and 1975, the field was never the same size two years in a row.
• 1976: Field expands to 34 teams, where it remains until 1982.
• 1982: The field expands to 36 teams. It would expand several times over the next few years, before settling at 48 teams in 1987, where it remained until 1999.
• 1988-1998: The eight regional champions are divided into two groups of four teams. These two brackets play double elimination, with the winners of the bracket then meeting in a single-game championship.
• 1999: The peloton expands to reach the current size of 64 teams, super regionals are added.
• 2003: The CWS Finals become a best-of-three series.

How are teams selected for the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament?

Since 1954, the NCAA Division I baseball tournament field has been divided into two qualifying groups: automatic berths and at-large selections. Since 2014, this breakdown has seen 30 conference champions receive automatic berths and 34 teams receive at-large bids, decided by the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee.

As part of this selection process, 16 teams are given national seeds and offered the opportunity to host a super regional if they advance to the second round.

What is the format of the NCAA Division I baseball tournament?

There are four stages of competition for the tournament:

Regional

The first round sees the 64 teams divided into 16 brackets. Each is a double elimination bracket with four teams, seeded 1 through 4. Double elimination means a team is not eliminated from the bracket until it has lost two games.

Super Regionals

The 16 winners of the regionals move on to the super regionals, where they are divided into eight pairs. These pairs play in a best-of-three series.

Men’s College World Series

The eight winners of the super regionals go to the MCWS in Omaha. They are divided into two double-elimination brackets, each made up of four teams.

Men’s College World Series Finals

The winners of the two MCWS brackets meet in the MCWS Finals, a best-of-three series to decide the NCAA champion.

When is the Men’s College World Series?

The NCAA Division I baseball tournament begins after the climax of the regular season in late May or early June each year. The Men’s College World Series, the final stage of the tournament, will close the season in June.

You can see the bracket and schedule here.

How to get Men’s College World Series tickets

Visit the tickets section on NCAA.com here for tickets.

Who has won the most men’s College World Series?

No team has won it more often than Southern California. The Trojans have 12 titles to their name, with the first dating back to 1948 and the most recent in 1998. This also includes a span from 1968 to 1974, when USC won six of seven titles.

You can see the winners of each tournament here.