Tennessee wins the College World Series…or is it the SEC World Series?

How about the national champions, the Tennessee Volunteers?

And what about the Texas A&M Aggies?

The two College World Series finalists put on a show we won’t forget, a display of game-winning pitching, big hits and college baseball that made the young men and their sport proud. So proud.

Tony Vitello’s Big Boppers woke up in time to win the final two games of the CWS. And for those keeping score at home, eight of the 13 three-game series were won by the team that started 0-1.

Here in Omaha, you never give up. Because the wind and the game are both fickle. Because it’s the CWS.

The Vols had character and personality, an army general out of the bullpen and most of all, Dylan Dreiling, the CWS MVP and for good reason. Dreiling hit a home run in every game of the championship series. And his second in Game 2 was probably what gave the Vols the championship.

Both Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel and basketball coach Rick Barnes were watching at the club level. Good luck, gentlemen. That’s how it goes.

While Vitello was being dunked with an ice cooler, a poignant scene occurred in the other dugout as Aggie coach Jim Schlossnagle hugged A&M star Braden Montgomery, who missed the CWS due to injury.

They made it the SECWS, an official unofficial title of the event. This was the fifth time since the CWS came to town that the title was decided by two SEC teams.

If you want parity in college baseball, look no further: Since 2011, seven SEC teams have won the national title.

Well, that’s parity in the SEC anyway, as they make a parody of college baseball. Who’s next?

At this point I have to ask if too much SEC is good for the CWS. And as a long-time Omahan and CWS observer, I can understand both sides.

We’re happy to see teams from coast to coast, from the Southwest to the Midwest, and the occasional party-crasher from the North or East. We’re happy that college baseball gives the little guys a chance to win a national title — like Rice and Fresno State and Coastal Carolina.

But how can you not love what the SEC delivers year after year: top coaching and talent in college baseball. The games are fun. The baseball is fantastic.

These guys, with the help of four ACC teams this year, know how to put on an entertaining series.

We also love their passionate fans who wear different colors every year and give out the color our Omaha dealers like: green.

Whether you like it or not, the SECWS is here to stay.

College baseball is heading south, and the college sports crystal ball shows that the SEC may be even more dominant in the future.

Let’s start on the West Coast. I’m worried about the West Coast teams. I love those guys who bring their own sun-kissed flavor.

Yes, I know Stanford has been in Omaha for the last three years. And Oregon State won the title in 2018.

But the Pac-12’s disintegration has scattered West Coast regulars everywhere, and Stanford is now trying to organize regionals in a conference a cross-country flight away. And Oregon State is now essentially an independent looking for highly rated games that will be harder to find.

As for Pac-12 teams coming into the Big Ten, well, that will be interesting. Cal-State Fullerton, on the other hand, is something we haven’t seen in years.

And what about the underdogs? The little locomotives that could make it to Omaha?

Oral Roberts was here just last year. And Evansville, UConn and Kansas State made it to the Super Regionals this year – where anything can happen.

But let’s face it: It takes a lot of heavy lifting – and some downtime – for the little charmers to make it to Omaha, and in the land of NIL and honey, that’s something that’s becoming increasingly rare.

And now there are more changes coming at the top. And if there are changes in football, they will eventually find their way to Omaha.

There is every reason to believe that the ACC will be swept up in the tornado of football realignment – ​​possibly as early as this summer.

Florida State and Clemson may soon leave the ACC in search of a mega-football league called the Big Ten or SEC. North Carolina may one day follow suit.

If that happens, I don’t know if the ACC will survive the setbacks. I do know that it won’t be half the size it is now. It’s likely that the SEC will be stronger as a result.

And then there is the revenue sharing, which is expected to begin in the next two to three years.

What you need to know about revenue sharing is that the four major conferences appear to be willing to take in $22 million each year and divide it among their athletes as they see fit.

The Big Ten and SEC will have the money available. The Big 12 and ACC will have to fight for it. And there might be some ADs in those two leagues who decide to cut some sports to make sure Johnny Football gets his paycheck.

Could some baseball programs be eliminated because of revenue sharing? It’s possible.

But while the four major conferences are pushing for an expansion of the NCAA basketball tournament – to accommodate more of their teams – they may also be doing the same for the Division I baseball tournament.

Nothing is certain, but that’s just it. Much is uncertain.

The SEC will play along. It will spend money on baseball. It will pay top dollar to coaches and ensure that its talent either gets revenue sharing or nothing at all.

Everything is in place for the SEC baseball snowball to continue growing and roll to Omaha on autopilot with no end to its dominance in sight. Because it matters to them. Because they can.

We sit back and enjoy the show, the players, the fans and the passion.

But if you don’t mind, I guess we’ll call it CWS anyway.