[Mr KLC]

A College World Series in mid-July. An NCAA tournament beginning in early July. A college baseball season beginning the third weekend of March.

Those are all things that will happen beginning with the 2022 season if a set of recommendations assembled by a five-coach panel of Power Five coaches gets approval from other Division I coaches and passes at the highest levels of the NCAA in the coming months.

“This isn’t the competitive equity proposal we have seen in previous years, and the coaches who have been working on this proposal do not need changes in order to have successful programs,” Michigan coach Erik Bakich said. “This is about the sustainability and growth of college baseball for the 2022 season and beyond. Universities and athletic departments across the country are facing a financial crisis, and our sport operates at a significant financial net loss amongst teams. That’s not a good combination.

“Regardless of geography, playing college baseball in February and early March does not make sense financially, academically and certainly not medically speaking,” he continued. “If college baseball realistically wants to increase scholarships or add another full-time coach at some point in the future, improving our fiscal bottom line is the next step. If we do nothing, we may not like the decisions that will be made for us.”

[Mr KLC]