ESPN to Air Over 1,600 NCAA Baseball Games in 2020

Kevin Coy
ESPN to Air 345 Little League Baseball & Softball Games

ESPN will present more than 1,600 NCAA baseball games during the 2020 regular season across ESPN networks, with 20 college conferences highlighted in ESPN’s industry-leading coverage.

During the postseason, on top of carrying five conference championship games and the entire Southeastern Conference tournament, 153 games will be televised across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ACC Network, SEC Network, Big 12 Now on ESPN+, Longhorn Network and ESPN+, with all college baseball action available on the ESPN App. In addition, the ESPN App will exclusively stream more than 450 games in 2020.

Two-thirds of the games on ESPN networks include a team in the USA TODAY Coaches Preseason Top 25*, while 82 games feature the preseason top 10 and 48 games highlight at least one top five team. 23 of the preseason Top 25 teams will appear on ESPN networks during the season.

ESPN is coming off one of the most-watched NCAA Division I Baseball Championships in history, matching 2018’s record-breaking viewership numbers throughout the Road to Omaha. The winner-take-all Game 3 of the 2019 NCAA College World Series saw more than 2 million viewers tune in to watch Vanderbilt defeat Michigan and capture their second NCAA title in six years. The CWS champions are slated for at least a dozen appearances on ESPN networks this spring. The NCAA runner-up Wolverines, ranked No. 11 in the preseason poll, will be featured four times on ESPN networks this season, including against Big Ten foe Ohio State on Sunday, April 12 at noon ET on ESPNU.

2020 NCAA Baseball Schedule Highlights

  • Top-Ranked Teams Take to the Field: The schedule includes 64 matchups with two ranked teams going head-to-head, headlined by No. 2 Louisville taking on top-ranked Vanderbilt at Hawkins Field on Tuesday, May 5 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. ESPN’s robust schedule also includes the following ranked games:
    • No. 10 Florida at No. 5 Arkansas
      • Thu, April 2 at 7:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
    • No. 3 Texas Tech at No. 17 Oklahoma State
      • Fri, April 3 at 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
    • No. 8 UCLA at No. 25 Oregon State
      • Sat, April 25 at 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
    • No. 25 Oregon State at No. 17 Oklahoma State
      • Sat, May 1 at 6 p.m. (ESPNU)
    • No. 12 LSU at No. 21 Texas A&M
      • Sun, May 3 at 5 p.m. (ESPNU)
    • No. 1 Vanderbilt at No. 10 Florida
      • Thu, May 7 at 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
      • Fri, May 8 at 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
  • Big 12 Bolstered by Even Bigger Matchups: ESPN continues its expansive coverage of the Big 12, televising several conference showdowns over the course of the 2020 season between LHN and ESPNU. One of the most anticipated conference clashes of the season will air on ESPNU, as No. 4 Texas Tech hosts in-state rival TCU in Lubbock on May 18 to close the regular season. Big 12 Now on ESPN+ will continue to have expansive coverage of the Big 12’s baseball schedule, featuring conference and non-conference match-ups throughout the season, totaling more than 100 games. The schedule of Big 12 Now on ESPN+ games is subject to change.
  • Big Ten’s Big Games Take to the Mound: Following a Cinderella run in the 2019 postseason, the Michigan Wolverines highlight ESPN’s coverage of the Big Ten this spring. Showdowns with conference foes Ohio State, Indiana, Minnesota and Penn State are highlighted on ESPNU in 2020.
  • Conference Championship Central: American, ACC, Big South, SEC and SWAC Championship games will all air on ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPNEWS. Full postseason baseball coverage will be announced in May.
  • Postseason Plans on Deck: ESPN will cover up to 153 postseason games beginning with NCAA Regionals. ESPNU starts the slate with the NCAA Baseball Selection Show on Monday, May 25 at noon. Complete postseason coverage will be announced at a later date.
  • Conference Coverage in Full Swing in ACC Network’s First Spring: ACC Network’s first spring season sees more than 70 televised matchups featuring ACC squads. The conference boasts eight ranked teams in the preseason poll, including 2019 CWS qualifiers Florida State and Louisville. ACC Network has 55 matchups slated featuring ranked squads, including No. 2 Louisville’s road trip to No. 7 Miami and part of their home series with No. 18 NC State in May. In ACCN’s first full spring season, the network will carry ACC Tournament semifinals with the championship game on ESPN2. For full ACCN coverage, please click here.
  • SEC Network Steps Up to the Plate: The SEC starts the season with nine teams ranked in the preseason Top 25, the most of any conference. With 75 games on the network throughout the spring, SEC Thursday Night Baseball will be in full swing on ESPNU and SEC Network, featuring a preseason Top 25 team in every week of the regular season. In addition, SEC Network will join forces with ESPNU to televise the final weekend of SEC action, May 14-16. For more on SEC baseball on TV, please visit SECNetwork.com.
  • Hook ‘Em: Longhorn Network, the home of Texas baseball, will televise more than 30 games this season. LHN adds nearly a dozen Big 12 matchups to ESPN’s overall baseball coverage, including a three-game series against No. 17 Oklahoma State (March 17-19). The Longhorns will appear on ESPN networks a total of 34 times, including a pair of showdowns with No. 3 Texas Tech on ESPN2 and ESPNU. Full details on LHN’s spring programming can be found here.
  • ESPN App: The network-leading 450+ game schedule for streaming on ESPN+ and the ESPN App begins in February, with action surrounding 18 different conferences — America East, Atlantic 10, Atlantic Sun, Big 12, Big East, Big South, Big West, Conference USA, Horizon League, Ivy League, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley, Southern, Southland, Summit League Sun Belt and Western Athletic.

Studio shows and on-air commentators, as well as a full streaming schedule, will be announced at a later date.