Matt Hogue addresses how conference realignment will impact NCAA Tournament selection process

The field has been officially released for this year’s NCAA Tournament following Selection Monday as 64 of the nation’s top teams will square off on campuses across the country in pursuit of a trip to Omaha for the College World Series.

The SEC leads all conferences with a record 11 teams selected for the tournament followed by the ACC with eight teams, the Big 12 with six, the Sun Belt with four, and the Big Ten and Pac-12 with three apiece participating in the action of the postseason. But even if next year’s NCAA Tournament field looks the exact same, those numbers will be different due to drastic changes in conference realignment next season.

Following Selection Monday, D1 Baseball Committee Chairman Matt Hogue was asked about conference realignment and how he believes it will impact the selection process ahead of next season’s NCAA Tournament.

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“I think it’s a great point, we certainly have some sentiment on our committee that that needs to be looked at. Maybe even from a formal perspective, right? It’s out there, I mean it is something that definitely provides an additional challenge,” Hogue said.

The sheer numbers of SEC teams in the NCAA Tournament shows how the conference is regarded for its strength, with several teams making it to the field of 64 despite posting below .500 records in conference play.

But Texas and Oklahoma also made the cut this season out of the Big 12 Conference, and will be in the SEC next season along with several other moves that add and subtract power to certain conference’s. Which next season and beyond can have major implications when conference schedules are considered when it’s time select participants in the postseason.

“And then like I said, when you don’t have everybody playing each other you’re trying to figure out okay, did this team have a tougher conference schedule?” Hogue asked. “Did this team have not have as tough a conference schedule? You’re trying to pick apart some of that as well, so I think you brought up a great point.”

“That’s something that will have to be looked at going forward and my sense is that the committee members that return and the new ones will probably discuss that.”

Conference realignment will have a significant impact on the postseason of various sports as competition will change from league to league, and it will be certainly be fascinating to see how the selection committee for baseball specifically will adapt to those changes in the future.