College Sports News Today: NCAA Baseball Approves ABS, Basketball Eligibility Battle Grows
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College Sports News Today: NCAA Baseball Adds ABS, Basketball Eligibility Fight Grows and Stanford Tops Soccer Poll
By North American Talk Radio Sports Desk
August 26, 2026
The NCAA approved a major technological change for college baseball, two powerful conferences drew a firm line against former professional basketball players returning to campus, and Stanford climbed to the top of the national men’s soccer rankings Wednesday.
Elsewhere, St. John’s added one of the most productive scorers in the transfer portal—although his eligibility remains unresolved—while Arizona State moved toward rewarding women’s basketball coach Molly Miller following a dramatic first-year turnaround.
Here is a look at the major college sports news for Wednesday, August 26, excluding college football.
NCAA approves automated ball-strike challenges for college baseball
College baseball will move closer to the professional game in 2027 after the NCAA approved the optional use of an automated ball-strike challenge system across all three divisions.
Under the new rule, schools with access to the required technology may use ABS during regular-season and postseason games. Human umpires will continue to call balls and strikes, but teams will have a limited opportunity to challenge calls and receive a technology-assisted ruling.
The NCAA’s Playing Rules Oversight Panel also approved several experimental baseball rules, including a limit of two pitcher disengagements per plate appearance and a requirement that relief pitchers face at least three batters, with exceptions for the end of an inning or an injury. The NCAA announced the baseball technology changes Tuesday.
The challenge format differs from a fully automated strike zone because players still must decide when a call appears questionable enough to review. That approach preserves the home-plate umpire’s role while providing a safeguard during critical at-bats.
Major League Baseball introduced its own ABS challenge system in 2026. The technology evaluates the location of a pitch in relation to an individualized strike zone and can display a decision almost immediately. MLB explains how its ABS challenge system works.
College baseball programs will now face several practical questions before the 2027 season, including technology costs, availability at smaller venues and the possibility of games operating under different conditions depending on the host school.
Even with those concerns, ABS represents one of the most significant rule changes in recent college baseball history.
SEC and Big Ten block former professionals from returning to college basketball
The growing legal fight over NCAA eligibility entered another phase after the Southeastern Conference joined the Big Ten in restricting athletes who have already competed at the professional level.
The SEC’s policy covers athletes who have been drafted or appeared on NFL, NBA, WNBA or NBA G League rosters. For basketball programs, the move could prevent former professional players from using court rulings or revised eligibility interpretations to return to college competition.
Conference leaders approved the measure unanimously, according to reporting by The Associated Press. The Big Ten previously adopted a similar position, while the ACC and Big 12 could consider their own policies. The Associated Press reported details of the SEC’s eligibility decision.
The issue became more urgent after athletes from the 2022 high school graduating class received favorable rulings in eligibility disputes. Those cases raised the possibility that players with professional experience could return to NCAA teams through the transfer portal.
The new conference rules could face legal challenges. Athletes may argue that conferences cannot impose additional participation restrictions when courts have already questioned the NCAA’s broader eligibility system.
For coaches, the dispute creates another layer of uncertainty in roster construction. A player may sign with a school and practice with a team while awaiting a court ruling, only to remain prohibited from competing under an individual conference’s policy.
The NCAA adopted a new age-based Division I eligibility model in June. That system allows athletes as many as five seasons if they enroll in college no later than the academic year following their 19th birthday. However, the legal status of athletes who previously turned professional remains unsettled. The NCAA outlined its new age-based eligibility model in June.
Keyshawn Hall commits to St. John’s as eligibility question remains
St. John’s men’s basketball added another potentially important piece Wednesday when Auburn transfer Keyshawn Hall committed to Rick Pitino’s program.
Hall averaged 19.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game at Auburn last season. The 6-foot-7 forward has also played for George Mason and UCF, giving him extensive experience against high-major competition.
His availability, however, remains uncertain. Hall is seeking an additional season of eligibility and may need a favorable legal or NCAA decision before he can play for the Red Storm.
If cleared, Hall would give St. John’s a proven scorer and rebounder who can operate at multiple positions. His arrival could also help offset the loss of Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman, whose injury created a significant opening in the frontcourt.
Hall joins a roster featuring Quinn Ellis, Ian Jackson, Tounde Yessoufou and Ruben Prey. The potential combination has increased expectations for a program attempting to build on Pitino’s recent success and make a deeper NCAA Tournament run.
Hall’s case also illustrates the broader challenge facing college basketball. Coaches increasingly must recruit athletes before receiving a final answer about their eligibility, producing rosters that may change because of NCAA decisions, conference rules or court orders.
Stanford rises to No. 1 in men’s college soccer rankings
Stanford took over the top position in the first regular-season United Soccer Coaches Division I men’s poll after opening the season with two victories.
The Cardinal received eight first-place votes and 200 points. San Diego moved to No. 2, followed by Portland, Maryland and SMU.
Stanford began the season ranked ninth but made the largest move among the top contenders. Defending national champion Washington dropped from No. 1 to No. 11 after splitting its first two matches.
The complete top 10:
- Stanford
- San Diego
- Portland
- Maryland
- SMU
- Georgetown
- Vermont
- Saint Louis
- High Point
- Akron
Clemson, UCLA, Charlotte and Duke entered the rankings after beginning the season outside the Top 25. Wisconsin and Michigan State also joined the poll following 2-0 starts. United Soccer Coaches published the updated Division I men’s rankings.
Stanford’s early rise gives the Atlantic Coast Conference another national contender. The Cardinal is one of several ACC teams in the rankings, joining SMU, Clemson, Duke and NC State, among others.
Washington’s decline does not eliminate the Huskies from the national championship conversation. Early-season soccer rankings can move sharply because teams have played only one or two matches, and a single result carries unusual weight.
Still, Stanford’s strong opening week established the Cardinal as the early team to beat.
Nebraska prepares to open women’s volleyball season at No. 1
The women’s college volleyball season begins this week with Nebraska holding the No. 1 position in the AVCA preseason poll for the second consecutive year.
The Cornhuskers received 57 first-place votes. Texas enters the season ranked second, followed by Kentucky, Pittsburgh and Stanford. Penn State, Louisville, Wisconsin, Creighton and Arizona State complete the preseason top 10.
Nebraska’s position creates immediate national-title expectations for a program that regularly plays before one of the largest and most engaged fan bases in college volleyball. Texas received the only other first-place vote in the poll.
The early schedule should quickly test the leading contenders as programs use nonconference tournaments and showcase matches to strengthen their NCAA Tournament résumés. Unlike sports with long seasons and large samples, a handful of early volleyball results can significantly reshape rankings and postseason seeding discussions.
Arizona State considers extension for Molly Miller after turnaround season
Arizona State is moving toward a contract extension for women’s basketball coach Molly Miller after she led the Sun Devils to a 24-11 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance in her first season.
The proposed agreement reportedly adds another year to Miller’s contract while increasing her salary and performance incentives. The Arizona Board of Regents is expected to consider the extension Thursday.
Miller inherited a program that had endured five consecutive seasons without a winning record. Arizona State’s immediate improvement established the Sun Devils as a competitive Big 12 program and accelerated the rebuilding schedule.
Before joining Arizona State, Miller led Grand Canyon to a 32-3 record, a 30-game winning streak and the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth. Arizona State’s program history details Miller’s arrival following her successful run at Grand Canyon.
A new contract would provide Arizona State with stability at an important moment. It would also signal that the university intends to invest in a women’s basketball program attempting to sustain its momentum rather than treat last season as an isolated breakthrough.
Big Ten extends Commissioner Tony Petitti through 2033
The Big Ten extended Commissioner Tony Petitti’s contract through June 2033 after receiving unanimous support from the conference’s presidents and chancellors.
Petitti became commissioner in 2023 and has overseen an 18-school conference that stretches from the East Coast to the Pacific. Although realignment and media revenue often dominate discussion of his tenure, the Big Ten has also enjoyed major success in non-football sports.
Michigan won the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball championship, while UCLA captured the women’s national title. Those results strengthened the conference’s national profile during a period of significant administrative and financial change.
The extension ensures that Petitti will remain one of the most influential figures in college athletics as conferences address athlete compensation, revenue sharing, eligibility rules, postseason access and the growing role of federal legislation. Reuters reported that Petitti’s new contract runs through June 2033.
College athletics enters another season of rapid change
Wednesday’s news showed how dramatically college sports now operate both on and off the field.
Baseball is adopting technology that once appeared reserved for professional leagues. Basketball programs are assembling rosters while legal challenges reshape eligibility rules. Soccer and volleyball have begun their national-title races, and athletic departments are acting quickly to retain coaches who generate immediate results.
Those issues will continue to overlap throughout the 2026-27 academic year. Games and championships remain the public focus, but court decisions, conference policies, technology and athlete-compensation rules increasingly determine what happens before teams ever take the field or court.
More NCAA news: https://natalkradio.us/category/ncaa/
