ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The Big South Conference baseball championship is coming back to Asheville.
The league announced Thursday that its 2026 and 2027 tournaments will be played at historic McCormick Field — home of the Asheville Tourists and site of a major renovation scheduled for completion next spring.
The six-team, double-elimination tournament is set for May 20-23, 2026, and will decide the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Organizers say the event will bring nearly 275 players, coaches and family members to the Asheville area, generating an estimated $750,000 in direct spending.
“We are thrilled the Big South has chosen Asheville as the stage for its championship events,” Vic Isley, president and CEO of Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, said in a news release. “These competitions highlight the talent and dedication of student-athletes while also creating opportunities for fans to experience all our community has to offer.”
The Big South has played its championship at a neutral site in its three-state footprint for six straight seasons and nine of the past 10 years. Asheville last hosted in 2009.
Commissioner Sherika A. Montgomery said the league is “absolutely thrilled” to return.
“The combination of a revitalized McCormick Field, the incredible hospitality of Explore Asheville and the support of UNC Asheville and local partners ensures a first-class experience,” she said in the news release.
McCormick Field, which opened in 1924, is undergoing a $55.6 million restoration led by the city of Asheville, including a record $23 million investment from the county’s Tourism Product Development Fund. The upgrades will bring the stadium in line with Major League Baseball’s player development standards while preserving its century-long baseball legacy.
The ballpark has hosted legends from Ty Cobb to Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson and was featured in the movie Bull Durham. It also welcomed Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936.
Tournament games will be broadcast on ESPN platforms. Ticket information is expected in February.
