The best team in the NBA, by record, won the NBA Finals just a handful of days ago. In no sport is the No. 1 seed winning a championship a shock -- except, perhaps, college baseball.
No. 1 seeds have an ugly track record in the College World Series since seeding began in 1999, a trend that continued last season when Wake Forest fell short of the finals altogether. Tennessee, which fell in the super regionals as a No. 1 seed two years ago, is the latest challenger to the curse.
In fairness, it might not be accurate to say college baseball is the only sport with a No. 1 seed curse. NHL fans rarely celebrate too much when their team wins the Presidents' Trophy, as only one Presidents' Trophy winner in the last 16 years went on to win the Stanley Cup.
College baseball's No. 1 seed drought extends far longer, but that might not be true once Tennessee's series against Texas A&M wraps up.
Here's a look at the history of No. 1 seeds in the College World Series, from the start of seeding in 1999 all the way through to Tennessee's bid for a title.
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College World Series No. 1 seed results
The NCAA baseball tournament began national seeding in 1999. Here are the results for all No. 1 seeds in that span:
| Year | No. 1 seed | Finish |
| 1999 | Miami | Won championship |
| 2000 | South Carolina | Super regional loss |
| 2001 | Cal State Fullerton | CWS semifinal loss |
| 2002 | Florida State | Super regional loss |
| 2003 | Florida State | Super regional loss |
| 2004 | Texas | CWS final loss |
| 2005 | Tulane | CWS second round loss |
| 2006 | Clemson | CWS second round loss |
| 2007 | Vanderbilt | Regional loss |
| 2008 | Miami | CWS second round loss |
| 2009 | Texas | CWS final loss |
| 2010 | Arizona State | CWS first round loss |
| 2011 | Virginia | CWS semifinal loss |
| 2012 | Florida | CWS first round loss |
| 2013 | North Carolina | CWS semifinal loss |
| 2014 | Oregon State | Regional loss |
| 2015 | UCLA | Regional loss |
| 2016 | Florida | CWS first round loss |
| 2017 | Oregon State | CWS semifinal loss |
| 2018 | Florida | CWS semifinal loss |
| 2019 | UCLA | Super regional loss |
| 2021 | Arkansas | Super regional loss |
| 2022 | Tennessee | Super regional loss |
| 2023 | Wake Forest | CWS semifinal loss |
| 2024 | Tennessee | TBD (in CWS final) |
Miami won the College World Series in 1999 as the first No. 1 seed. Surely they would be the first of many, right?
The last 23 seasons have proven otherwise, as no No. 1 seed has won the College World Series since the Hurricanes' title in 1999. In fact, just playing for a championship has been a challenge. Tennessee is the first top-seeded team to reach the finals since 2009 and only the third to do so since Miami's 1999 championship.
No. 1 seeds fell short of the College World Series altogether in three consecutive tournaments from 2019-22. UCLA lost in the super regionals in the last pre-pandemic tournament, while Arkansas (2021) and Tennessee (2022) failed to make it to Omaha in the two tournaments that followed.
The Volunteers have a chance to make some history of their own against Texas A&M, as they have never won a national championship, and a title could also break a curse that has derailed more than a few elite teams over the years.
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CWS wins by national seed
| Seed | Championships |
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 |
| 4 | 1 |
| 5 | 3 |
| 6 | 0 |
| 7 | 1 |
| 8 | 0 |
| Unranked | 12 |
Parity has reigned supreme in the College World Series since seeding began in 1999. Exactly half of the 24 national champions crowned in the seeding era have been top-eight seeds, while the remaining half was unranked. That's about to change.
Tennessee is the No. 1 overall seed, while Texas A&M is the national No. 3 seed. One of those SEC squads will walk away with its first title in Omaha.
No national seed has won the College World Series more than three times. No. 2 and No. 3 seeds have each won three times, and LSU's victory in 2023 supplied a third title for No. 5 seeds.
No. 1 seeds just haven't experienced the same success. Whether it's just poor luck or a true curse, it's highly unusual. A Tennessee loss to Texas A&M would only lend credence to the idea that top seeds are victims of a curse that remains unbreakable. A Tennessee win, however, would give hope to all No. 1 seeds in future tournaments.
