The ACC announced this morning that the format for the conference’s baseball championship is changing to a 16-team single-elimination tournament. The new format will go into effect for the upcoming season and debut at this year’s event in Durham.
In previous years during pool play, only 12 teams made the tournament. Expanding the format to include 16 teams means that every single program will have an opportunity to compete for a championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The 2006 ACC Championship in Jacksonville, Florida was the last tournament to feature a format that didn’t include round robin or pool play. Only 12 teams competed in the conference back then and eight teams would earn an opportunity to compete in a double elimination bracket to crown a winner. After round robin and pool play was introduced, the tournament field expanded just twice; in 2014 to 10 teams and in 2017 to the 12-team field that existed through last season.
According to the conference’s official press release this morning, ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said, “There’s once again tremendous excitement surrounding ACC Baseball and today’s announcement will bring an improved championship experience for our student-athletes, coaches, and fans alike. Nationally, the ACC is once again well-represented in the preseason polls and award lists. After what we know will be a highly competitive regular season, we look forward to showcasing all 16 baseball teams in Durham this May."
It is important to mention that the press release also notes that this “change was proposed by the league’s 16 head coaches and has received direct support from the student-athletes.”
How it Works
All 16 ACC schools will qualify for the event and be seeded 1-through-16 based on regular season standings.
Teams seeded 1-through-4 will get a double bye and advance straight to the quarterfinals.
Teams seeded 5-through-8 will get a single bye and advance straight to the second round.
Teams seeded 9-through-16 will face off against each other in the first round of play to open the tournament.
The concept is simple. There’s no tiebreakers or meaningless games in this format. Win and advance, or lose and go home. The tournament champion will still receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and the total number of games (15) remains the same as previous years with pool play.
Schedule
The first round will consist of four games between the 9-through-16 seeds and will take place on Tuesday with start times staggered at 9 AM, 1 PM, 5 PM, and 9 PM. The winners of those games will advance to play seeds 5-through-8 in the second round on Wednesday. All four games will be played at the same staggered start times as the first round.
First Round: Tuesday, May 20th (4 games)
Second Round: Wednesday, May 21st (4 games)
Quarterfinals: Thursday, May 22nd (2 games) and Friday, May 23rd (2 games)
Semi-finals: Saturday, May 24th (2 games)
Championship: Sunday, May 25th (1 game)
Example
The bracket below provides an example of what the tournament will look like using College Baseball Central ACC Preseason Power rankings as the seeding.
Pros
As mentioned in the ACC’s announcement, “the single-elimination format provides a more exciting and easier to follow true championship format which will enhance fan engagement.” As mentioned previously, this new format eliminates the confusion that came with pool play. For example, under the old format, if three teams in pool play all went 1-1 against each other, who won the pool? The average fan had to know the tie-breaking rule that advances the highest-seeded team in that scenario. With a single-elimination format, even the most casual of fans can understand format.
Expanding the field to include all 16 teams gives every team a chance to compete for a championship and every game in this new format matters and adds drama to the proceedings. No longer will there be two 0-1 lower seeds playing a game that doesn’t directly impact the tournament. And with no second chances, bubble teams and programs well outside the NCAA Tournament conversation will be desperate to extend their seasons and improve their resumes.
The best performing regular season teams will still be rewarded in this format by having to play less games. A lower-seeded team advancing to quarter finals will be using their second or third starter of the tournament while the top four seed will be able to throw their ace.
There will be four games each on Tuesday and Wednesday starting at 9 AM ET. Who doesn’t love breakfast and baseball?
Cons
One downside is that there will not be a guaranteed two games to boost resumes for bubble teams. Additionally, fans of schools were able to attend the ACC Tournament and be guaranteed to see their school play on multiple days. Moving forward, four teams will be one and done by the end of day one.
With all 16 schools making the field, there will be no late regular season drama to determine who makes the event. Last year, Pittsburgh was 6-18 in conference play and trailed Notre Dame, who was 9-18, by 1.5 games. The Irish had just taken two of three from Pitt and the Panthers’ conference tournament hopes looked hopeless with match-ups against Florida State and at Miami looming to end the year. Notre Dame were swept by Louisville to finish 9-21 while Pitt shocked the Seminoles and the Hurricanes to finish 10-20 on the very last day to claim the final spot in Charlotte. While teams will play all the way until the end for seeding purposes and resume improvement, the tension will be lacking.
As exciting as four games occurring on Tuesday and Wednesday is, there is virtually zero wiggle room for rain delays or extra inning affairs. The conference will have to be creative and employ alternate solutions if scheduling obstacles pop-up.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this change appears to be a good one for the conference. Raising the stakes of the games should make for a more exciting product. Due to the time frame and logistics involved, a full 16-team double elimination tournament that emulates a Regional format just isn’t feasible, so this is the next best thing. It’s also encouraging that the conference leadership is committed to making changes that improve the sport and the ACC’s standing on the national stage.
The 2025 ACC Baseball Championship will take place from May 20th to May 25th, 2025 at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
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