College baseball will get “robot umpires” next season.
This week, the NCAA’s Division I Baseball Oversight Committee and the Division II and Division III Playing Rules Oversight Panel have approved use of an automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system across all three divisions starting in 2027. The technology will be optional for teams and available in both regular-season and postseason play as part of an “experimental rule.”
The move follows a trial run by the Southeastern Conference, or SEC, which used the ABS system during its conference tournament in May. The setup mirrors the model Major League Baseball has used in spring training and the regular season the past two years: only the batter, catcher or pitcher can contest a call. They signal a challenge by tapping their helmet or cap. A ruling is delivered within seconds using Hawk-Eye tracking technology.
After the tournament used ABS, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said the conference’s experiment reflects a “continued commitment to innovation,” adding that it brings the college game closer in line with the professional ranks.
Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin was also a fan of the system, saying it removes some of the emotion tied to close calls behind the plate.
Kentucky coach Nick Mingione echoed that sentiment, offering a bottom-line assessment shared by many coaches and players experiencing ABS for the first time this year.
“At the end of the day, umpires, coaches, student-athletes, they just want to get the call right,” Mingione said after the SEC tournament. “It’s just another way to make sure you get the call right.”
USC Athletics declined to comment on the rule changes at this time.
The challenge system was just one of several rule changes cleared for next season, several of which mirror moves MLB has made over the past 10 years. Square bases measuring 18 inches will be allowed at all facilities across all three divisions, though the current 15-inch bases will remain standard, and a double first base will be mandatory in every game.
Division I games will also introduce a 30-second timer between batters and during mound visits and offensive timeouts. Additionally, Division I teams will no longer be permitted to use electronic devices to communicate offensive signals during games, a step back from in-game technology that the rules subcommittee said was meant to prevent batters from gaining an advantage before a pitch is thrown.
Conferences in all three divisions may also seek approval to limit pitchers to two disengagements from the rubber per batter, with a third resulting in a balk unless a pickoff attempt produces an out. Relief pitchers will be required to face a minimum of three batters, unless the inning ends first.