Overview
- The NCAA Baseball Rules Committee, which approved the SEC's request Monday, cleared automated ball-strike challenges for every game of the May 19–24 tournament in Hoover, Alabama.
- Each team will begin with three challenges per game, keep any successful ones, and gain an extra challenge in extra innings under the SEC’s published protocol.
- Only the pitcher, catcher, or hitter can challenge within seconds of the pitch by tapping the cap or helmet to trigger a review.
- Ball-tracking cameras will feed an electronic zone tailored to each batter using pregame measurements, and the call will appear on the stadium videoboard and TV with the updated count.
- The SEC positioned the test after MLB’s 2026 rollout drew largely positive early reviews, and other conferences can seek approval to use the same setup.