NCAA rules committee approves robot ump for challenging balls and strikes in SEC Tournament
Teams will get three challenges per game under an experimental system that compares each pitch with an electronic strike zone.
- On Monday, the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee approved the Southeastern Conference's request to implement a challenge system for balls and strikes at the 2026 SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama.
- Teams can challenge umpire calls using an automated tracking system that monitors pitch location relative to each batter's zone, mirroring technology used in Major League Baseball.
- Each team receives three challenges to start the game; successful appeals retain the challenge while unsuccessful attempts result in losing that opportunity.
- SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said the system "reflects our continued commitment to innovation" and aligns with professional standards to support student-athlete development.
- The Automatic Ball-Strike system is available for other conference tournaments if they follow the same protocols established by the SEC.
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SEC baseball tournament to feature MLB’s robot umpire technology
Robots are headed to Hoover in late May, or at least in the name of experimentation. On Monday, the SEC was given approval by the NCAA to implement the Automated Ball-Strike system (ABS), used by Major League Baseball during the SEC tournament later this month.
SEC Announces It Will Try ABS Challenge System During 2026 Conference Baseball Tournament
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) announced on Monday that it will experiment with an Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system during this year’s baseball tournament. This will be the first time ABS challenges, which are making their Major League Baseball debut this season, will be used in college baseball The NCAA Baseball Rules Committee granted the SEC’s request on Monday to institute a ball-and-strike challenge system for every conferenc…
Umpires on notice: College Baseball trying out ABS, with SEC using for conference tournament
If it's working at the MLB level, we might as well start gauging the temperature of the ABS challenge system in college baseball.At least that’s the thought process inside the Southeastern Conference offices in Birmingham, Alabama, as the SEC tournament approaches in three weeks.Since officially arriving this season in Major League Baseball, there has been an uptick in conversation surrounding the Automated Balls and Strikes mechanism that has s…
SEC to implement strike zone challenge system for 2026 baseball tournament
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (May 4, 2026)-----The Southeastern Conference will implement a challenge system for balls and strikes on an experimental basis for each game of the 2026 SEC Baseball Tournament, similar to the process implemented in Major League Baseball games this…
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