66 Games To Be Televised Prior To NCAA Postseason…

New Addresses, More Uncertainty For Many Teams…

By Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires

It’s all about football (and BCS money), but the latest round of conference shuffling – brought to you by the Big East Conference – will ripple through college baseball as well.

As of this writing, an official announcement is apparently imminent that Boise State, San Diego State, Houston, Central Florida (UCF), and Southern Methodist (SMU) will all join the Big East to bolster its sinking BCS football status. Boise State and San Diego State would join as football only members, while the other three would be full fledged Big East members in all sports. The planned moves would go into effect for the 2013-2014 academic year.

We’re not going to go into all of the football implications. You can find that on 800 other sites. We also won’t touch the irony that the new look “Big East” will include schools that are not even remotely in the “east”.

The question we are most concerned with is:  How does all this affect college baseball?

First, neither Boise State nor SMU have baseball teams, so those schools are out of this discussion (how SMU does not have a baseball team though is a head-scratcher). So, let’s start out west and work our way back east to look at how this latest conference shuffle will affect the college baseball landscape.

San Diego State currently plays in the Mountain West Conference in all sports. Since the Aztecs are joining the Big East in football only, the other sports are in line for a new landing spot. According to multiple reports, that landing spot will be the Big West Conference.

It’s a move that would make perfect sense for Tony Gwynn‘s baseball team. The farthest his team would travel for a conference game would be Hawaii (set to join the Big West for the 2013 season) every other year, rather than current jumps to Colorado Springs, Albuquerque and Ft. Worth.

Gwynn would also add another big name to the coaching ranks in the conference. The Big West already includes another former Big Leaguer – Ed Sprague (Pacific) – as well as Hall of Famer Mike Gillespie (UC Irvine) and a hot up and comer – Rick Vanderhook (Cal State Fullerton) – who is returning to his roots after helping UCLA reach the College World Series as an assistant.

The conference that will feel the most ill effects from all the maneuvering is the Mountain West. The conference, which has been somewhat underrated when it comes to college baseball anyway, has just five teams – Air Force, New Mexico, San Diego State, TCU, and UNLV – that will field baseball teams in 2012.

TCU, which was originally set to join the Big East, will leave the Mountain West after the current season to align with the Big 12. Fresno State and Nevada have agreed to leave the WAC for the MWC next year, but they could easily reconsider that move considering there will be no Boise State and no San Diego State in two years. And don’t forget, Utah left the MWC to help form the Pac-12 this season, while BYU left the conference for football independence, while baseball and other BYU sports are now in the WCC.

As it stands, the Mountain West would be left with just Air Force, New Mexico, UNLV and possibly Fresno State in 2014. Odds are those schools will either all be somewhere else or the MWC will align with another conference – the WAC? – before then.

From a baseball standpoint, it’s just a shame. The MWC, especially with the addition of Fresno State, was shaping into what would have been a great conference. The Bulldogs won the 2008 national championship, TCU went to Omaha in 2010, New Mexico is coming off back-to-back NCAA appearances, and Utah and San Diego State have each gone to NCAA regionals in the last three years as well.

Moving east…

Houston and UCF will leave Conference USA to join the Big East in all sports, including baseball starting with the 2014 baseball season.

Houston has experienced an NCAA drought in recent years. The Cougars were a win away from a Super Regional in 2008, but that is their only NCAA appearance over the last five seasons. Houston improved from 25 wins to 27 victories in Todd Whittling’s first season as head coach in 2011.

UCF has made upward movement in head coach Terry Rooney‘s three seasons as head coach after helping LSU reach the CWS as an assistant in 2008. The Knights were one of four C-USA teams to receive an NCAA bid in 2011.

The move to the Big East for those two schools comes as Syracuse and Pittsburgh head to the ACC and West Virginia exits to the Big 12. Syracuse does not have baseball, while neither Pitt nor WVU have sniffed the NCAA Tournament in nearly two decades.

The argument can be made that the addition of two southern schools like UCF (located in Orlando) and Houston will make the Big East a better baseball conference. That argument was made when South Florida (USF-located in Tampa) joined the Big East after the 2005 season, but it hasn’t turned out that way.

USF has not received an NCAA bid in its six seasons as a Big East member. The Bulls compiled a 7-10 record at the Big East Tournament from 2006-2010, but did not qualify for the Big East’s postseason tournament in 2011.

Meanwhile, northern teams in the same conference have been more successful in that stretch. Notre Dame, Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. John’s, and UConn (all dugout space heater spots in March and early April) have all received NCAA bids since 2006, while UConn advancing to the program’s first Super Regional this past season. Louisville also earned NCAA bids from 2007-2010, but the Cardinals are the only Big East school not in Florida to play home games in February.

The losses of Houston and UCF leaves C-USA with seven baseball playing schools, while the net for the Big East is unchanged at 12 baseball schools (lose Pitt and West Virginia and gain UCF and Houston).

Other smaller conferences are set to shuffle as well. UT San Antonio and Texas State (as well as Denver, which doesn’t play baseball) will soon join the WAC. Houston Baptist will join the Southland after leaving the Great West Conference (a conference that does not an automatic NCAA bid), while Oral Roberts will leave the Summit League for the Southland Conference.

Dallas Baptist, which went all the way to a Super Regional in 2011 as a DI Independent, joined the Missouri Valley Conference this year, but will leave to join the WAC for the 2012-2013 season.

Nebraska is also in its first season in the Big Ten after leaving the Big 12 after last season, while Missouri and Texas A&M will jump to the SEC next year. As of now, the only change in the ACC will be the addition of Pitt.

The X-factor in the entire situation is the BCS contract will likely be redone prior to the 2013-2014 season, so this latest move by the Big East might not even keep the conference in the BCS.

Confused?

The only certainty in any of this is – there is bound to be much more uncertainty before the smoke clears.

Here’s a look at how many of the aforementioned conferences are currently aligned and how they will potentially look in 2014. Keep in mind that seemingly every move is tentative and all of this could be moot before any of the changes actually take place.

Potential College Baseball 2014 Conference Baseball Alignment

34 Home Games Set For Wildcats…

Kentucky is the final SEC school to release its 2012 college baseball schedule. The Wildcats start the season by hosting 18 of their first 21 games. They open Feb. 17-19 with their first three games in Spartanburg, SC with match-ups against Wofford, Eastern Michigan and USC Upstate.

The Wildcats then begin an 18-game homestand, beginning Feb. 24-26 with a three game series against Buffalo. Three game series vs. Illinois-Chicago and Canisius are included in the extended stretch.

SEC play begins with the last three games of the stretch March 16-18 against two-time defending national champion South Carolina. Other conference home series are against Ole Miss, Alabama, Florida, and LSU. Conference road series are at Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, and Mississippi State.

Midweek games against Indiana, Louisville, Western Kentucky, and Cincinnati among others.

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33 Home Games Slated For Defending Champions…

South Carolina has released its 2012 college baseball schedule. The two-time defending national champions open their season by playing seven straight and 14 of their first 16 games at home.

The season starts Feb. 17-19 with a three game series against VMI. Elon visits for three games the second weekend of the season, and Presbyterian travels to Columbia for a mid week game on Feb. 28.

The Gamecocks play a three game series vs. arch rival Clemson March 2-6. The three games will be played in three different cities. The first game is in neutral site Charleston, SC, South Carolina hosts game two and the series finale is at Clemson.

A three game series vs. Princeton March 9-11 comprises the bulk of a six game homestand from March 7-14.

SEC play begins March 16-18 with a trip to Kentucky. Other conference road series are at Vanderbilt, Auburn, Arkansas, and Georgia. Conference home series are against Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Alabama, and LSU. The Gamecocks do not face SEC rival Ole Miss in 2012.

Eight Games Set For 2012 College Season…

School Record 36 Home Games Set…

Arkansas has released its 2012 college baseball schedule. The Razorbacks open their season with a 10-game homestand. It includes a season opening three game series against Villanova, followed by two against Northwestern State, three against Valparaiso, and two games against BYU.

The Razorbacks head to Houston, TX March 2-4 for three games at the Houston College Classic. Their three opponents are still TBA.

Arkansas then returns home for an 11-game homestand that starts with three games vs. Binghamton. Gonzaga and Nevada also visits Baum Stadium for two games each during that stretch.

SEC play opens at home March 16-18 with three games against Alabama. Other conference home series are against Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Auburn. The Razorbacks go on the road to face Mississippi State, LSU, Ole Miss, Florida, and Tennessee in conference play.

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Tide To Play 32 Home Games…

Alabama has released its 2012 college baseball schedule. The Crimson Tide opens the new campaign with a seven game home stand, which starts with three games against Florida Atlantic February 17-19, continues with three games against Arkansas-Pine Bluff the following weekend and then concludes with a single game against Samford on Feb. 28.

The Tide hits the road for the first time when it visits Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg on Feb. 29 (leap year) and continues its road swing with a three game series at Tulane March 2-4, before a non-conference game against arch rival Auburn in Montgomery, Ala on March 6. Southern Miss. returns the visit to Tuscaloosa on March 13.

Alabama hosts its own tournament March 9-11, with games against East Carolina, Louisville and Oral Roberts.

SEC play begins March 16-18 when Alabama visits Arkansas. Other conference road series are at Tennessee, LSU, Kentucky, and defending national champion South Carolina.

The Crimson Tide hosts Mississippi, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, and Georgia in SEC action.

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CLICK HERE to see our comprehensive Schedule Page, which includes links to every 2012 DI college baseball schedule and roster as they are released.

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32 Home Games On Tap For Rebels…

Mississippi has released its 2012 college baseball schedule. The Rebels open their season February 17-19 when they travel to Ft. Worth, TX for a three game series with TCU.

A 12-game home stand begins with a Feb. 21 game against Arkansas State and concludes with a three game set vs. Houston.

After two games at Louisville March 13-14, the Rebels return home to open SEC play March 16-18 against Auburn. Other conference home series are against Florida, Arkansas, LSU, and Tennessee. The Rebels go on the road in conference play to face Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt.

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34 Home Contests Set For Commodores…

Fresh off the program’s first ever trip to the College World Series, Vanderbilt has released its 2012 college baseball schedule. The Commodores open their season February 17-19 when they travel to Palo Alto, Calif. for a three game series with Stanford. The Cardinal made the trip to Nashville when the two teams played a three game set in 2011.

Vanderbilt plays another high profile series the next weekend then they welcome another Pac-12 school, Oregon, to the Music City.

Rhode Island visits for three games March 2-4 and then San Diego comes to Nashville March 9-11 for three games.

The Commodores open SEC play March 16-18 when they travel to Florida. The Gators eliminated Vandy in the semifinals of the 2011 College World Series. Other conference road series are at Mississippi State, Alabama, Tennessee, and LSU.

Vanderbilt hosts Georgia, Auburn, Kentucky, Ole Miss, and defending national champion South Carolina in SEC action.

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