Number of teams 287 Most conference bids SEC (8) | Duration May 30–June 23, 2003 Duration June 13–June 23, 2003 | |
Duration January 16-June 23, 2003 | ||
The 2003 NCAA Division I baseball season, play of college baseball in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level, began on January 16, 2003. The season progressed through the regular season, many conference tournaments and championship series, and concluded with the 2003 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament and 2003 College World Series. The College World Series, which consisted of the eight remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament, was held in its annual location of Omaha, Nebraska at Rosenblatt Stadium. It concluded on June 23, 2003, with the final game of the best-of-three championship series, the first such championship series used at the College World Series. Rice defeated Stanford two games to one to claim its first championship.
Contents
New programs
Three programs joined Division I prior to the 2003 season– Gardner-Webb, which had been a provisional member; Savannah State, which had been a Division II independent; and IPFW, which had been a provisional member.
Dropped programs
Howard dropped its baseball program following the 2002 season.
Conference changes
Sacramento State, which had been a member of the Big West Conference, became a Division I independent.
Conference formats
Bowling Green, which had played in the East Division of the Mid-American Conference, moved to the West Division.