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ACC Baseball Championship Format Changes to Include 16-Team Tournament
Clemson Tigers baseball field updates including the new Clemson name behind home plate, at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, S.C. in 2025. Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ACC Baseball Championship Format Changes to Include 16-Team Tournament

Originally posted on Clemson Tigers on SI
By Claire Boyer  |  Last updated Feb 6, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Atlantic Coast Conference has announced a new tournament format will hit the field just in time for the 2025 baseball season.

In a release from the ACC, the championship will still run from May 20-25 in Durham, N.C., but this year, all 16 teams will be present at the tournament, including the Clemson Tigers. Each team will also play under the threat of single elimination, weeding out the competition for a true ACC showdown.

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips acknowledged the excitement and competitive nature that the conference is taking on, noting that the change would enhance the baseball experience for fans, players and coaches. The new single-elimination format eliminates the previous pool play and round-robin formats.

With 16 teams fighting for high seeds, it will be important for each program to perform to the best of their ability throughout the regular season. The new format will allow teams to dictate their fate in the postseason, with the top four seeds receiving a double-bye going into the quarterfinal round of the championship tournament.

The tournament runs from a Tuesday to a Sunday, with each day carrying a specific format. The first two days of play will see four games each and will be designated as the first and second rounds, respectively.

The next two days (Thursday and Friday) will see two quarterfinal games each. As teams advance, the two semifinal contests will be held that Saturday and the championship game will be held on that Sunday.

The 2025 ACC Baseball Championship bracket can be referenced here.

This new format is unlike anything the ACC has seen during baseball season. The previous format has been in place since 2006 as the league has grown from 10 to 12 and to 16 teams. SMU is the only ACC team that doesn't play baseball.

While some may find the idea of 16 teams difficult to grasp, the ACC adopted this single-elimination style to accommodate perfectly for the needs of the conference. In the end, the conference officials found it pertinent to showcase the strength of ACC Baseball.

The conference did not make these changes in secret. Coaches and student-athletes that are part of the ACC proposed and will openly support the new format. Fans were also in mind, making the postseason as simple as it could be without taking away from the competitive edge.

Fan engagement has become an important part of collegiate sports and the ACC has perfectly executed a format-change that will allow fans to follow along with ease.

Tickets for the highly anticipated ACC championship event will go on sale on Feb. 12.

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This article first appeared on Clemson Tigers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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