31-528: Condron Family Ballpark at Alfred A. McKethan Field is the college baseball stadium of the University of Florida , and serves as the home field for the Florida Gators baseball team. Condron Ballpark is located on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus, adjacent to the university's softball stadium, Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium , and its lacrosse stadium, Dizney Stadium . It replaced
62-471: A Division I baseball player is between November 8 and 15; the late signing period dates for these players are April 11 to August 1. The substance policies for college baseball are very strict and set by the NCAA. There is a set list of substances a college baseball player is forbidden to put in his body, and there is severe punishment for those that defy it, whether it would be intentional or unintentional. There
93-490: A University of Florida alumnus and successful Florida banker, businessman, and politician who contributed major donations to the Florida athletic program. McKethan donated the equivalent of $ 800,000 for the reconstruction and improvement of UF's baseball facilities in the 1980s and 1990s, and the stadium built at Perry Field was named in his honor. The stadium itself is named for Gary Condron, another UF alumnus and founder of
124-707: A best-of-three series. The eight winners then advance to the MCWS, a double-elimination tournament (actually two separate four-team brackets) to determine the two national finalists. The finalists play a best-of-three series to determine the Division I national champion. The most recent Men's College World Series winner is Tennessee . The first intercollegiate baseball game took place in Pittsfield, Massachusetts , on July 1, 1859, between squads representing Amherst College and Williams College . Amherst won, 73–32. This game
155-455: A game against Tennessee . The current stadium facility is a concrete and steel structure that seats approximately 7,000 fans, and includes a press box, concession stands, locker rooms for the home and visiting teams, and coaching staff offices. The stadium includes 4,000 chairbacks, 700 club seats, and berm seating for over 2,000 spectators. The design incorporates a 360-degree concourse, shade canopy, and open-air seated grandstand. The stadium
186-801: A wood bat. As a result, in 2011 there was a drop-off in overall "long" drives or home runs relative to past years. All players resident in the U.S. and its territories, plus Canada, are eligible to be selected in Major League Baseball's Rule 4 Draft upon graduating from high school. However, once a player enrolls in a four-year college or university, he is not allowed to be drafted (or re-drafted) until completing three years of school or reaching age 21, whichever comes first. By contrast, players who enroll in junior colleges (i.e., two-year institutions) are eligible for selection at any time. The Rule 4 Draft of eligible college and high school players consists of 20 rounds, most recently reduced from 40 after
217-440: Is a very long list of these substances, including alcohol, marijuana, anabolic steroids, and heroin, to name just a few. These substances fit into categories such as stimulants, anabolic steroids, diuretics, street drugs, hormones, anti-estrogens, and more. Failure to pass scheduled or random drug tests can result in ineligibility. After losing its license for Major League Baseball , EA Sports released MVP 06: NCAA Baseball ,
248-413: Is classified by the NCAA as an "equivalency" sport, meaning that limits on athletic financial aid are set to the equivalent of a fixed number of full scholarships. Division I schools are allowed the equivalent of 11.7 full scholarships; Division II schools, only 9.0. Schools generally choose to award multiple partial scholarships rather than exclusively full scholarships. In Division I, the NCAA also limits
279-401: Is generally faster than off a wood bat. Those against metal, and for wood, argue that a metal bat is not safe to use, and that a metal bat does not prepare players for the next level, as professional baseball uses a wood bat exclusively. In the 2011 season the NCAA changed the requirements for a metal bat, reducing the maximum allowed exit speed in a way that is said to produce a feeling more like
310-628: Is governed by the All Japan University Baseball Federation [ ja ] (JUBF). In comparison to American football and basketball , college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional players, as Minor League Baseball tends to be more extensive, with a greater history of supplying players from the high school level to Major League Baseball (MLB). But many amateur baseball players may choose college, for
341-643: Is lighted for night games and features a natural grass and clay playing surface with a synthetic turf backstop. Won by Florida in bold College baseball NAIA : JUBF College baseball is baseball that is played by student-athletes at institutions of higher education . In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, it
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#1732780503618372-776: Is played under the auspices of either the NCAA , the NAIA , the NJCAA , the CCCAA , or the NWAC . The NCAA writes the rules of play, while each sanctioning body supervises season-ending tournaments . The final rounds of the NCAA Division I tournament is known as the Men's College World Series (MCWS); while each of the three levels of competition sanctioned by the NCAA holds a championship tournament,
403-481: Is similar to that of the Major League Draft in that a high school athlete is taking the next step in his career. The NCAA places restrictions on the coaches that are trying to convince athletes to come play for them and attend their university. College baseball programs are only allowed to offer a limited number of scholarships each year, so the process of earning a scholarship is quite competitive. Baseball
434-477: The Official Baseball Rules . Exceptions include the following: Though a wood bat is legal in NCAA competition, players overwhelmingly prefer and use a metal bat. The metal bat was implemented in college baseball in 1975. Use of a metal bat is somewhat controversial. Supporters of an aluminum or composite bat note that it can increase offensive performance, as the speed of a ball off a metal bat
465-591: The "Men's College World Series" branding is reserved strictly for the final round of the Division I tournament. The MCWS takes place in Omaha, Nebraska in June, following the regular season. The playoff bracket for Division I consists of 64 teams, with four teams playing at each of 16 regional sites (in a double-elimination format ). The 16 winners advance to the Super Regionals at eight sites, played head-to-head in
496-432: The "no agent rule" as a result of this, claiming it was to benefit the amateur athletes. The rule states that "[a]n individual shall be ineligible for participation in an intercollegiate sport if he or she has agreed (orally or in writing) to be represented by an agent for the purpose of marketing his or her athletics ability or reputation in that sport". Representation of an agent is considered to be any direct contact with
527-536: The 1890s as multi-sport conferences. The first tournament to name a national champion was held at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, resulting in Yale being crowned champion. No other such tournament was held until the first College World Series in 1947 . Traditionally, college baseball has been played in the early part of the year, with a relatively short schedule and during a time when cold (and/or rainy) weather hinders
558-470: The 2019 edition. Despite MLB's draft being considerably longer than that of the NFL or NBA, only about 9.1% of all NCAA senior baseball players are drafted by an MLB team. One of the biggest controversies with the draft and these amateur athletes is the use of agents . There have been many cases of college athletes consulting or hiring an agent prematurely in direct violation of NCAA rules. The NCAA came up with
589-523: The 25% limit, as long as it also is included in the calculations for the team equivalency limit. Before September 1 of a potential college player's 11th grade year, it is illegal for a college program to give any kind of recruiting materials to the prospect. A phone call is not even permitted to the prospect until July 1 of the student's 11th grade year. Once the player is committed to the school of his choice, he must sign his letter of intent during one of several signing periods. The early signing period for
620-808: The Civil War, first in the northeastern United States but quickly throughout the country. By the late 1870s, several northeastern schools were playing regular home and home series. The team with the best record claimed a "National Championship." Arguments over professional and graduate players led to the creation of the American College Base Ball Association in late 1879, consisting of six northeastern schools which sought to govern such issues and organize games. This organization lasted until 1887, when it dissolved in acrimony and waves of realignment. The Western Conference and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association were formed in
651-699: The Conlan Company, one of the nation’s top manufacturers of light-industrial complexes. Condron played baseball for the Gators in the 1970s as a walk-on and has donated at least $ 30 million for the construction of the Hawkins Academic Center, the renovation of the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, and the construction of the stadium itself. Florida Ballpark was rechristened "Condron Family Ballpark" on April 22, 2022, immediately before Florida hosted
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#1732780503618682-410: The ability for games to be played, particularly in the northern and midwestern parts of the U.S. These and other factors have historically led colleges and universities across the nation to effectively consider baseball a minor sport, both in scholarships as well as money and other points of emphasis. College baseball's popularity has increased greatly since the 1980s. As increased efforts to popularize
713-672: The eight-team Men's College World Series (MCWS). Conference affiliations are current for the upcoming 2025 NCAA baseball season. Years of conference changes, indicated in footnotes, reflect baseball seasons, which take place in the calendar year after a conference change takes effect. Numbers of appearances in the NCAA Tournament and MCWS, plus MCWS titles, are current through the 2024 college baseball season. These schools are in transition from Division II or III to Division I. For scheduling purposes, they are considered to be Division I institutions, but they will not be eligible for
744-546: The first college baseball video game . A second game, MVP 07: NCAA Baseball , was also released before the series was discontinued due to low sales. List of NCAA Division I baseball programs The following is a list of schools that participate in NCAA Division I baseball . In the 2024 season, 300 Division I schools competed. These teams compete to go to the 64-team Division I baseball tournament and then to Omaha, Nebraska , and Charles Schwab Field , for
775-409: The former ballpark, Alfred A. McKethan Stadium at Perry Field , which had been the home of Florida baseball from 1988 through 2020; McKethan Stadium's earlier incarnation, known simply as Perry Field, had been the home field of Gator baseball since 1949. The stadium opened on February 19, 2021, when the Gators hosted Miami in their season opener. The playing surface is named for Alfred A. McKethan ,
806-485: The most recent NCAA regular season , 301 teams competed at the Division I level in the United States, with top teams progressing through the regular season, various conference tournaments and championship series, and the 2024 NCAA Division I baseball tournament to play for the Division I championship in the 2024 Men's College World Series . As with most other U.S. intercollegiate sports, competitive college baseball
837-567: The professional team during the contract negotiations. This contact can be made many different ways, whether through direct conversation, via mail or through the telephone. This rule is strongly enforced by the NCAA and has harsh consequences if broken. Recent changes to NCAA rules regarding compensation to college athletes for the use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL) have clarified that players can sign with agents to negotiate endorsement deals without loss of eligibility, though not for negotiating with professional teams. The recruitment process
868-439: The sake of physical preparation and a softer transition from the high school level to the minor leagues. If players opt to enroll at a four-year college, they must complete three years of college to regain professional eligibility, or have turned at least age 21 before starting their third year of college. Players who enroll at junior colleges (i.e., two-year institutions) regain eligibility after one year at that level. During
899-578: The sport resulted in better players and overall programs, more television and print media coverage began to emerge. The ESPN family of networks have greatly increased television coverage of the NCAA playoffs and the College World Series since 2003. For 2008 and succeeding seasons, the NCAA mandated the first ever start date for Division I baseball, thirteen weeks before the selection of the NCAA tournament field, which takes place on Memorial Day. The rules of college baseball are similar to
930-643: The total number of players receiving baseball-related financial aid to 27, and also requires that each of these players receive athletic aid equal to at least 25% of a full scholarship. The 25% rule does not apply to schools that offer aid based solely on financial need (most notably Ivy League members), and also does not apply to a player in his final year of athletic eligibility who has not previously received athletically related aid in baseball at any college. A long-standing official NCAA rules interpretation also allows schools to count aid that would otherwise be exempt by NCAA rule (such as purely academic awards) toward
961-915: Was one of the last played under an earlier version of the game known as " Massachusetts rules ", which prevailed in New England until the " Knickerbocker Rules " (or "New York Rules") developed in the 1840s gradually became accepted. The first ever nine-man team college baseball game under the Knickerbocker Rules still in use today was played in New York on November 3, 1859, between the Fordham Rose Hill Baseball Club of St. John's College (now Fordham University ) against The College of St. Francis Xavier, now known as Xavier High School . Students at many colleges began organizing games between colleges, particularly after