Michael Alford echoed a familiar refrain among college baseball’s power brokers after being named chairman of the Division I Baseball Committee last month: The sport has never been stronger, he told Baseball America.
The Florida State athletic director called college baseball “the best” and said his task now is to safeguard that rise and push it forward.
For Alford, that begins with conviction as much as policy. He describes himself as an “eye test” evaluator, a chairman who believes statistics and RPI formulas tell only part of the story. He expects committee members to watch games—not just box scores—and to understand teams well enough to see beyond their numbers.
It’s a philosophy rooted in both fandom and stewardship, as well as a belief that the committee’s work can shape the way the sport is consumed and celebrated. And as the game takes on greater visibility and resources in an era of sweeping change across college athletics, Alford sees opportunity in the chairmanship rather than burden.
“You know how much I love the game,” Alford said. “I just want to make it as good as we can make it.”
The NCAA Tournament has long been a showcase for the breadth of college baseball and a stage where powerhouses and plucky upstarts could collide on even terms. But that balance has largely eroded in recent years.
In 2025, 30 of the 35 at-large bids went to teams from just four conferences: the SEC, ACC, Big 12 and Big Ten. Oregon State, a conference independent, also secured a spot, leaving only four berths for mid-majors. It was smallest mid-major share since the NCAA adopted the 64-team super regional format in 1999 and a reflection of how sharply the sport has tilted toward its richest leagues.
That reality has sparked frustration across the sport, particularly among coaches who see the path narrowing for competitive programs outside the power structure.
Alford understands the sentiment, but his outlook is unapologetic. To him, the responsibility of the committee is not to preserve a sense of balance for balance’s sake but to ensure the postseason is stocked with the teams most capable of winning on the biggest stage.
“The best teams, the best talent should be in the tournament,” he said. “There’s no doubt about it.”
That conviction carries weight as the tournament itself undergoes a significant shift. Beginning in 2026, the committee will seed the top 32 teams in the field, doubling the…