- Every pitch of the Men’s College World Series airs across ESPN networks, June 12-22
- Game 2 of the MCWS Finals airs on ABC for the third consecutive year (Sunday, June 21)
- ESPN to provide live onsite studio coverage throughout the entire MCWS for the first time
ESPN’s exclusive presentation of the 2026 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship concludes with the Men’s College World Series Presented by Capital One, June 12-22 from Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Every game of the MCWS will air across ESPN networks as the final eight teams battle for a national championship in the culmination of the 2025-26 college sports season.
Action begins Friday, June 12, with the opening games of the tournament’s two double-elimination brackets. The winners will advance to the best-of-three MCWS Finals beginning Saturday, June 20, with a national champion crowned no later than Monday, June 22.
ESPN will surround the Finals with extensive coverage, including a one-hour pregame show ahead of Game 1 on June 20. For the third consecutive year, ABC will televise a Men’s College World Series Finals game, airing Game 2 on Sunday, June 21, at 2:30 p.m. Plus, ESPNU will offer an alternate telecast for each game of the MCWS Finals.
The champion crowned in Omaha will be the 42nd and final NCAA team champion awarded across ESPN networks during the 2025-26 college sports season.
ESPN has exclusively presented the Men’s College World Series since 2003 and the company’s history with the event goes back more than 45 years. ESPN began televising MCWS games in 1980 – within the first year of the original network launch.
On the Call
Veteran ESPN baseball voice Karl Ravech returns to Omaha alongside analysts Chris Burke and Kyle Peterson. Burke was a two-time All-American and 2001 SEC Player of the Year at Tennessee, while Peterson earned National Freshman of the Year honors at Stanford in 1995. Reporter Kris Budden, in her seventh season covering the Men’s College World Series, rounds out the crew from the field. The quartet will call all night-session games and the entire MCWS Finals.
For the day-session games, Mike Monaco will handle play-by-play alongside analysts Ben McDonald, a former LSU All-American, and Eduardo Pérez, the former Florida State All-American and two-time MCWS participant. Reporter Taylor McGregor will make her Omaha debut.
Studio coverage
For the first time, ESPN will provide live onsite studio coverage throughout the entirety of the MCWS, delivering pregame analysis, interviews, features and breaking news from Omaha each day of the event. Alyssa Lang will anchor NCAA Men’s College World Series Studio Built by the Home Depot coverage alongside 1993 MCWS Most Outstanding Player Todd Walker, ESPN college baseball analyst Mike Rooney and roaming reporter Jack DeLongchamps. For the best-of-three Finals series, Monaco hosts studio coverage alongside Rooney, McDonald and DeLongchamps.
Also new this year, ESPN will offer a MCWS Finals alt-cast on ESPNU featuring Monaco, Rooney, McDonald and DeLongchamps. Available for every Finals game, the presentation will blend analysis, special guests, fan interaction and behind-the-scenes storytelling from college baseball’s biggest stage.
Prior to Friday’s opening game between West Virginia and Troy, former Mountaineers kicker and punter Pat McAfee will host a special live edition of The Pat McAfee Show from Omaha. Airing from noon-2 p.m. on ESPN, the show will originate from Blatt Beer & Table and feature McAfee alongside his regular crew of Darius Butler, Connor Campbell, Ty Schmit and Tone Digs.
Every Pitch, Every Angle
- Drone: ESPN’s drone footage will provide dramatic aerials throughout each game.
- TrackMan: TrackMan radar will be employed to capture contemporary baseball data, including precise pitch speeds, HR distance, exit velocity and launch angle.
- SupraCam: For the second year in a row, a two-point aerial camera will soar above Charles Schwab Field along the right field line. Anchored from beyond the stadium walls in right field down past home plate, it will capture dynamic shots of the field, offering a unique perspective and tracking the action as it unfolds.
- Ump views: The home plate umpire will wear a mask camera in every game of the tournament, giving viewers a first-person look at what the umpire sees from behind the plate. All four umpires on the field will also be mic’d up for every game of the tournament. New this year, ESPN will place cameras (provided by Povora) on the hat of two of the base umpires to bring viewers unprecedented, decisive shots of close plays around the diamond.
- Audio note: To capture the full impact of stadium sounds, ESPN is deploying approximately 75 mics – including radio frequency mics – in the bases, buried mics at home plate and the pitcher’s mound, warning track mics spanning the entire outfield wall, and even impact mics on the foul poles. With additional commentator mics in the booth and on the field and umpire mics, there will be upwards of 100 microphones available to capture the action in Omaha.
Omaha Headlines
- New Faces, Long-Awaited Returns: West Virginia and Troy have reached Omaha for the first time in program history, while Alabama returns to the MCWS for the first time since 1999. North Carolina is back in Omaha for the 13th time overall and second time in the last three seasons.
- SEC Strength: Five SEC programs – Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Texas – make up more than half the field. Texas is making its 39th MCWS appearance, while Ole Miss returns for the first time since capturing the 2022 national championship.
- A Championship Opportunity: West Virginia, Troy, North Carolina and Alabama are seeking the first national championships in program history. Texas is pursuing its seventh NCAA title and first since 2005, while Oklahoma seeks its third national championship and first since 1994. Georgia, meanwhile, is aiming for its second NCAA title and first since 1990.
- Fresh Faces in Omaha: For the second straight season, none of the teams that reached Omaha the previous year have returned. The result is one of the most wide-open championship races in recent memory.
- Momentum Continues: Interest in college baseball continues to surge across ESPN networks, as the 2026 Super Regionals averaged 608,000 viewers, up 31% year-over-year and marking the round’s largest audience since 2009. The round also became the most-consumed Super Regional ever, while USC-North Carolina (1.3 million viewers) and Georgia-Mississippi State (1.2 million viewers) ranked as the two most-watched Super Regional telecasts on record.
College Networks Coverage
- SEC Network: SEC Network will be live from Omaha throughout the MCWS as five SEC programs pursue the conference’s seventh consecutive national championship. Studio programming starts on Thursday with Peter Burns hosting alongside analyst Todd Walker. Coverage continues Friday with SEC Now live from left field at Charles Schwab Field with Burns and David Dellucci and SECN will have live, in-ballpark programming for the duration of the tournament.
- ACC Network: ACC Network’s flagship news and information show, All ACC,will be on site in Omaha with coverage surrounding the North Carolina Tar Heels 13th trip to Omaha. Host Jason Spells will be joined by analysts Danny Graves and Tyler Wilson for a full recap and breakdown on each UNC game day following that night’s action.
Game On: Journey to the NCAA Championship
Gear up for the action on the diamond with ESPN’s Game On: Journey to the NCAA Championship, available now on the ESPN App. Hosted by ESPN senior writer and Marty & McGee co-host Ryan McGee and ESPN baseball analyst Kyle Peterson, Game On showcases stories of some of the best teams and players on the Road to Omaha.
- Texas assistant coaches Troy Tulowitzki and Max Weiner: This year, the Texas Longhorns are one of the most balanced teams in college baseball with a top 20 ranked pitching staff and a top 30 scoring offense. Behind this success are two very different assistant coaches – 5-time MLB All-Star Troy Tulowitzski and former Mariners pitching guru Max Weiner. Chris Burke reports on how together, these coaches aren’t only driving success, they are teaching the Longhorns to think about the game in a whole new way.
- Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson, aka “The Rhino”: Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson leads the SEC regular season champion Bulldogs in just about every major offensive category. This season Jackson became the sixth player overall, and first catcher, to have both 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases in a season. He is strong. He is fast. He is built like a tank, and that is why they call him “The Rhino”. Ryan McGee reports.
- UNC’s Erik Paulsen Jr.’s bond with his father: First baseman Erik Paulsen Jr. carries a legacy with him each time he steps on the diamond for the University of North Carolina. Erik’s love for baseball was shaped by his father, Erik Sr. – an NYPD officer, 9/11 first responder, and founder of the New York Longhorns travel ball program. Erik Sr. passed away last July due to throat cancer and now Erik Jr. wears his dad’s detective shield around his neck each game. Ryan McGee reports.
ESPN.com
ESPN Senior Writers McGee and Elizabeth Merrill will report from Omaha for ESPN.com throughout the MCWS. Stay up to date with the latest stories at ESPN.com/college-sports
2026 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship – Men’s College World Series Presented by Capital One
| Date | Time (ET) | Programming | Network |
| Fri, Jun 12 | 1 p.m. | NCAA Men’s College World Series Studio Alyssa Lang, Mike Rooney, Todd Walker, Jack DeLongchamps |
ESPN2 |
| 2 p.m. | Troy vs. West Virginia Mike Monaco, Eduardo Perez, Ben McDonald, Taylor McGregor |
ESPN | |
| 6:30 p.m. | NCAA Men’s College World Series Studio Lang, Rooney, Walker, DeLongchamps |
ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m. | Ole Miss vs. North Carolina Karl Ravech, Chris Burke, Kyle Peterson, Kris Budden |
ESPN | |
| Sat, Jun 13 | 2 p.m. | NCAA Men’s College World Series Studio Lang, Rooney, Walker, DeLongchamps |
ESPN |
| 3 p.m. | Oklahoma vs. Alabama Monaco, Perez, McDonald, McGregor |
ESPN | |
| 7:30 p.m. | NCAA Men’s College World Series Studio Lang, Rooney, Walker, DeLongchamps |
ESPN2 | |
| 8 p.m. | Texas vs. Georgia Ravech, Burke, Peterson, Budden |
ESPN | |
| Sun, June 14 | 1 p.m. | NCAA Men’s College World Series Studio Lang, Rooney, Walker, DeLongchamps |
ESPN |
| 2 p.m. | Game 5 – Elimination Bracket | ESPN | |
| Loser G1 vs. Loser G2 Monaco, Perez, McDonald, McGregor |
|||
| 6 p.m. | NCAA Men’s College World Series Studio Lang, Rooney, Walker, DeLongchamps |
ESPN | |
| 7 p.m. | Game 6 – Winners Bracket | ESPN | |
| Winner G1 vs. Winner G2 Ravech, Burke, Peterson, Budden |
|||
| Mon, Jun 15 | 2 p.m. | Game 7 – Elimination Bracket | ESPN |
| Loser G3 vs. Loser G4 Monaco, Perez, McDonald, McGregor |
|||
| 6:30 p.m. | NCAA Men’s College World Series Studio Lang, Rooney, Walker, DeLongchamps |
ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m. | Game 8 – Winners Bracket | ESPN | |
| Winner G3 vs. Winner G4 Ravech, Burke, Peterson, Budden |
|||
| Tue, Jun 16 | 2 p.m. | Game 9 Monaco, Perez, McDonald, McGregor |
ESPN |
| 7:30 p.m. | NCAA Men’s College World Series Studio Lang, Rooney, Walker, DeLongchamps |
ESPN2 | |
| 8 p.m. | Game 10 Ravech, Burke, Peterson, Budden |
ESPN | |
| Wed, Jun 17 | 1:30 p.m. | NCAA Men’s College World Series Studio Lang, Rooney, Walker, DeLongchamps |
ESPN2 |
| 2 p.m. | Game 11 Monaco, Perez, McDonald, McGregor |
ESPN | |
| 6:30 p.m. | NCAA Men’s College World Series Studio Lang, Rooney, Walker, DeLongchamps |
ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m. | Game 12 Ravech, Burke, Peterson, Budden |
ESPN | |
| Thu, Jun 18 | 1 p.m. | NCAA Men’s College World Series Studio Lang, Rooney, Walker, DeLongchamps |
ESPN2 |
| 2 p.m. | Game 13 – If Necessary Monaco, Perez, McDonald, McGregor |
ESPN | |
| 6:30 p.m. | NCAA Men’s College World Series Studio Lang, Rooney, Walker, DeLongchamps |
ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m. | Game 14 – If Necessary Ravech, Burke, Peterson, Budden |
ESPN | |
| Sat, Jun 20 | 7 p.m. | NCAA Men’s College World Series Studio Monaco, McDonald, Rooney, DeLongchamps |
ESPN |
| 8 p.m. | Finals Game 1 Ravech, Peterson, Burke, Budden |
ESPN | |
| 8 p.m. | Finals Game 1 Alt-Cast Monaco, McDonald, Rooney, DeLongchamps |
ESPNU | |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 2 p.m. | NCAA Men’s College World Series Studio Monaco, McDonald, Rooney, DeLongchamps |
ABC |
| 2:30 p.m. | Finals Game 2 | ABC | |
| Ravech, Peterson, Burke, Budden | |||
| 2:30 p.m. | Finals Game 2 Alt-Cast Monaco, McDonald, Rooney, DeLongchamps |
ESPNU | |
| Mon, Jun 22 | 6:30 p.m. | NCAA Men’s College World Series Studio Monaco, McDonald, Rooney, DeLongchamps |
ESPN |
| 7 p.m. | Finals Game 3 – If Necessary | ESPN | |
| Ravech, Peterson, Burke, Budden | |||
| 7 p.m. | Finals Game 3 Alt-Cast Monaco, McDonald, Rooney, DeLongchamps |
ESPNU |
Networks and times are subject to change
All scheduling updates throughout the Men’s College World Series can be found here.
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