College Basketball, Baseball Give New Meaning To ‘March Madness’ In North Carolina
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In the sports world, March Madness refers to NCAA college basketball tournament action, attracting interest from fans and bettors across the country.
But in North Carolina, where NCAA basketball still gets top billing, college baseball fans also will have a lot to cheer about in the coming months.
Wake Forest Tops NCAA Preseason Baseball Poll
Collegiate teams from North Carolina are ranked in the Top 25 in national basketball and baseball polls, setting the stage for an exciting spring and early summer for college sports fans.
If legal mobile sports betting is underway in North Carolina by then, as the governor wants, that time of the year also could be promising for bettors statewide.
Currently, the Associated Press Top 25 NCAA men’s basketball poll has the North Carolina Tar Heels at No. 3 and Duke Blue Devils at No. 12.
In the preseason D1 college baseball poll, North Carolina teams hold prominent positions heading into Day 1 of the season next month.
According to D1 Baseball, the state has five teams in the preseason Top 25, including No. 1 ranked Wake Forest. The poll is posted on the ncaa.com website.
The college baseball season begins in mid-February (Feb. 16 for Wake Forest) and concludes with the College World Series Finals from June 22-24 at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.
Here are the state’s teams in college baseball’s Top 25:
1. Wake Forest
11. East Carolina
12. Duke
13. North Carolina State
15. North Carolina
No Date Set For Mobile Sports Betting
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has indicated he wants mobile sports betting to go live statewide in time for college basketball’s March Madness tournaments this season. The term “March Madness” could mean anything from Selection Sunday for the men's tournament on March 17 through the men’s national title game on April 8.
State gaming regulators have not set a date for when legal mobile sports betting will begin. The North Carolina State Lottery Commission, which oversees sports betting, is set to meet Wednesday, Jan. 24, at 10 a.m. ET and might provide updates. The commission's Sports Betting Committee is scheduled to meet Jan. 30.
Mobile sports betting companies seeking licenses to operate in North Carolina are going through the approval process. None have been approved yet. In-person sports betting will begin at brick-and-mortar sportsbooks after mobile wagering is live.
When mobile sports wagering is green-lighted, anyone at least 21 years old will be allowed to wager on college and pro sports.
The governor’s wish for a March Madness launch reflects the state’s passion for college basketball, highlighted by games between Duke and North Carolina. These two longtime rivals square off Feb. 3 and March 9.
If the mobile sports betting launch doesn’t happen in time for the men’s March Madness basketball tournament, the state’s college baseball fans won’t be left out in the cold. The regular season runs from mid-February until mid-May. The ACC baseball tournament is set for May 21-26 in Charlotte, with the national title game played in Omaha in June.
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