REPORTING: During the NCAA baseball selection presentation, ESPN unintentionally used the Kansas image for Kansas State.
When compared to the Kansas Jayhawks, the Kansas State Wildcats frequently receive second-class treatment. They had another taste of it on Monday during ESPN’s NCAA Baseball Championship Selection Special.
ESPN announced the field for the 64-team tournament, which begins Friday with 16 double-elimination regionals. Kansas and Kansas State were two of the schools expecting to have their names called. The Jayhawks ended 31-23 and advanced to the Big 12 Tournament semifinals, raising the chance that they could sneak into the tournament. Meanwhile, the Wildcats appeared to be a lock into the tournament, but their location was unknown.
ESPN began introducing the Fayetteville Regional by revealing that Arkansas would host and play Southeast Missouri in the first game. Then it was Kansas State’s time. However, as soon as the camera went to a live view of the Wildcat players rejoicing, they were confronted with the Jayhawks’ name and logo. Awkward.
"The Kansas State Wildcats are in!"
*Kansas Jayhawks logo appears* pic.twitter.com/FQgq1Bni54
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 28, 2024
Someone at ESPN noticed the problem right away when the logo vanished in two seconds, leaving a blank screen behind.
Unfortunately, the fact that the Kansas logo was cued up likely gave some Jayhawks fans false hope that they might be able to sneak into the tournament. Unfortunately, they’ll have to watch their bitter in-state rivals play instead.
