The Kansas State Wildcats often get the little sibling treatment compared to the Kansas Jayhawks. They got another taste of it on Monday during ESPN’s NCAA Baseball Championship Selection Special.
ESPN unveiled the field for the 64-team tournament that gets underway Friday with 16 double-elimination regionals. Among the schools hoping to hear their names called were Kansas and Kansas State. The Jayhawks finished 31-23 and reached the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament, sparking the possibility they could sneak into the tournament. Meanwhile, the Wildcats appeared to be a lock to make the tournament but their destination was unclear.
ESPN started announcing the Fayetteville Regional by showing Arkansas would host and play SE Missouri in the first game. Then, it was Kansas State’s turn. However, as soon as the camera switched to the live shot of the Wildcat players celebrating, they were fronted by 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 as the logo disappeared within two seconds, leaving a blank screen behind.
Alas, the fact that the Kansas logo was cued up probably gave some Jayhawks faithful the false hope that they would be able to sneak into the tournament. Alas, they’ll just have to watch their hated in-state rivals play instead.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.