Paul Finebaum details how far the SEC is away from having baseball as a revenue-generating sport

The SEC has proven that their success in athletics has become even more prevalent in baseball. With 10 teams making this year’s NCAA Tournament, Paul Finebaum believes that’s a foundation where, from here, baseball can become a sport in the SEC that will start generate revenue for their schools.

Finebaum shared that opinion in an appearance on ‘McElroy and Cubelic In The Morning’ on Monday. He said the sports isn’t far off from starting to make dollars as, in his eyes, baseball has actually become the second biggest sport to the conference over basketball.

“I don’t think it’s very far at all. Because for all the conversation of propping up basketball? It was baseball that has challenged, in some ways, football as the number two sport,” Finebaum said. “Revenues are more complicated because of the size of the team and the number of games. But I think we’re pretty close to it. And I also believe the baseball packages are worth a lot more than the NCAA has negotiated.”

It doesn’t take much number crunching to see that the SEC has generated plenty of interest in their baseball teams. As mentioned, 10 earned the right to be in this year’s NCAA Tournament. That’s not even to mention their upcoming additions in Texas and Oklahoma who also made the field.

From there, six advanced to the Super Regional round. At that point, two of the eight series featured SEC teams facing off with one another.

Now, with the College World Series field nearly set, the Southeastern Conference already has two teams in. Florida already advanced over South Carolina and LSU earned their bid over Kentucky on Sunday. They could add a third with Tennessee and could later add a fourth-asterisked one with the Longhorns depending on what happens today.

In the end, baseball, while popular, has had a difficult time reaching the same level from a revenue standpoint as football or basketball, including in the SEC. However, with more and more teams making a case for Omaha each spring, Finebaum says the diamond might be passing up the hardwood before long with the pace it’s moving at.

LSU celebrates trip to the College World Series

LSU was one of the most impressive teams in the country during the course of the college baseball season. Now, after sweeping Kentucky in the Baton Rouge Super Regional, the Tigers have earned their right to prove they’re the best of the best in Omaha at the College World Series.

A run in the top of the ninth extended their lead to 8-3. Then, after that, LSU closed out the Wildcats and appropriately dogpiled soon after on the grass in Alex Box Stadium.

It is a Tigerpile!#MCWS x 🎥 ESPN2 / @LSUbaseball pic.twitter.com/WIeQ8252d5

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 12, 2023