Globe Life Field is the center of College Baseball at the NCAA Division I level once again, drawing attention to top Power Four and mid-major programs that take the field throughout the 2025 season. The venue will also host the 2025 Big 12 Baseball Championship from May 21-25, leading into the NCAA Tournament.
In 2024, Globe Life Field became the first venue to host both a Power Five conference tournament and the MLB All-Star Game in the same year. The MLB Draft was also held that July at the Fort Worth Stockyards.
Globe Life Field hosted the HBCU Swingman Classic during MLB All-Star weekend on July 12, 2024, in which Ken Griffey Jr.’s American League All- Star team defeated Lloyd McClendon’s National League squad, 5-4.
The HBCU Swingman Classic debuted at the 2023 MLB All-Star weekend at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. developed the event with assistance from The Players Alliance, a nonprofit organization founded by current and former professional baseball players to make the game more equitable and accessible.
MLB’s PLAY BALL initiative supports youth participation in baseball and softball through programs like PLAY BALL Weekend, local clinics, and events like the HBCU Swingman Classic.
Griffey Jr. spoke about his motivation for launching with MLB reporter Kennedi Landry on July 13, 2024, “I was fortunate enough to play the game that I love and I was also fortunate to have a dad that played. I didn’t have to fight and claw from scratch to be seen. These kids, we want them to live their dream. Twenty years from now, we want them to be doing the interview. Our country is about the youth. It’s not about the older generation. It’s about how we can make it better for them.”
Tiger Borom of Grambling State University won the 2024 HBCU Swingman Classic MVP after hitting a crucial two-run double to help the American League beat the National League on July 12.
That MVP Moment ???????? @TigerBorom of @GramSt_Bsb with the two-run double to give the American League the lead and win at the #HBCUSwingmanClassic ‼️ pic.twitter.com/ZpyWhLljvU
— MLBDevelops (@MLBDevelops) July 13, 2024
Globe Life Field Expands Its College Baseball Legacy
Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers, has become the Madison Square Garden of college baseball by hosting the Shriners Children’s College Showdown, the College Baseball Series, and the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship since 2022.
The stadium opened in 2020 and set a record in 2024, hosting 41 college baseball games, the most in a single year at the venue and among all active and former Major League Baseball stadiums.
In 2021, Globe Life Field expanded its role in college baseball by hosting the State Farm College Baseball Showdown, featuring Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, TCU, Texas, and Texas Tech to kick off the regular season.
Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, Texas A&M, Texas State, UL-Monroe, and UT-Arlington played selective regular season games at Globe Life the year after the 2020 NCAA Division I regular season was stopped due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
In 2022, Globe Life Field hosted the State Farm College Baseball Showdown, featuring Arizona, Auburn, Kansas State, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech.
BYU, DBU, Nebraska, Northwestern State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Sam Houston, TCU, Texas, and UT-Arlington played selective neutral site regular season games in 2022 at Globe Life Field.
The 2022 Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship featured Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, and West Virginia. Oklahoma won the tournament, marking the first time Globe Life Field hosted an NCAA Division I Power Five conference championship.
The 2023 State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field featured Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, and Vanderbilt to open the regular season.
In 2023, Abilene Christian, Baylor, DBU, Oklahoma, TCU, and UT-Arlington played neutral-site regular-season games at Globe Life Field.
TCU won the 2023 Big 12 Conference Championship at Globe Life Field, defeating a field that included Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, and West Virginia.