Who has the most College World Series titles? Past winners ahead of 2024 tournament
Editor's note: This story has been updated from its original version to reflect the addition of the most College World Series appearances
The 2024 College World Series has officially arrived.
Two weeks ago, 64 teams set out to make it to college baseball's most sacred grounds. Through historic wins and upsets, eight have made it to Omaha, Nebraska. And while no team in this year's field — Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas A&M, North Carolina, Florida State, NC State, Virginia and Florida — will come to challenge USC's leading 12 College World Series titles, this year's rendition of college baseball's marquee event regardless has the makings of being a historic one.
MORE: Buy College World Series tickets with StubHub
That history? Six of the eight teams to have made it to Omaha, Nebraska have never won the College World Series. The only two teams that have are Florida, the only unseeded team in the field and snuck into the 2024 NCAA Baseball Tournament with a 13-17 record in SEC play, and Virginia.
No. 1 national seed Tennessee remains the favorite to win this year's installment of the CWS. The Vols are back at the CWS for the second consecutive season, but are chasing some history this year. The Vols are looking not only to break the curse of No. 1 overall seeds — none has won the CWS since Miami in 1999 — but also their first national championship title in program history.
So who will win? We shall see. But in the meantime, here's what you need to know about past College World Series winners as play begins Friday, including who holds the record for most titles:
REQUIRED READING: CWS bracket: Schedule, TV channels, streaming, scores for NCAA baseball tournament games
Who has the most College World Series titles?
USC holds the record for the most national championship titles in College World Series history, with 12. However, the Trojans' last one came in 1998.
To win the CWS that season, the Trojans — who were a No. 4 seed — went an undefeated 5-0, picking up wins over No. 1 seed Florida (12-10), No. 8 Mississippi State (7-1), No. 5 LSU (5-4, 7-3) and No. 6 Arizona State (21-14). It marked the first national championship win for USC in two decades.
Teams with most College World Series championships
With LSU defeating Florida in the 2023 College World Series, the Tigers moved into second place behind the Trojans for the second-most CWS titles in NCAA history.
Here's a full look at the top five of leaders for most CWS titles:
1. USC: 12 (1948, 1958, 1961, 1963, 1968, 1970-74, 1978 and 1998)
2. LSU: 7 (1991, 1993, 1996-97, 2000, 2009 and 2023)
3. Texas: 6 (1949-50, 1975, 1983, 2002 and 2005)
4. Arizona State: 5 (1965, 1967, 1969, 1977 and 1981)
T-5. Arizona: 4 (1976, 1980, 1986 and 2012)
T-5. Cal State Fullerton: 4 (1979, 1984, 1995 and 2004)
T-5. Miami: 4 (1982, 1985, 1999 and 2001)
REQUIRED READING: How Tennessee baseball reinvented pitching staff to get back to College World Series
College World Series winners history
Here's a full list of CWS winners going back to 1990, according to the NCAA:
2023: LSU
2022: Ole Miss
2021: Mississippi State
2020: Canceled due to COVID-19
2019: Vanderbilt
2018: Oregon State
2017: Florida
2016: Coastal Carolina
2015: Virginia
2014: Vanderbilt
2013: UCLA
2012: Arizona
2011: South Carolina
2010: South Carolina
2009: LSU
2008: Fresno State
2007: Oregon State
2006: Oregon State
2005: Texas
2004: Cal State Fullerton
2003: Rice
2002: Texas
2001: Miami
2000: LSU
1999: Miami
1998: USC
1997: LSU
1996: LSU
1995: Cal State Fullerton
1994: Oklahoma
1993: LSU
1992: Pepperdine
1991: LSU
1990: Georgia
Click here to view the full list of CWS winners going back to 1941.
Who has the most College World Series appearances?
Texas holds the record for most College World Series appearances with 38, last making it in 2022.
The Longhorns have made it to Omaha in the following years: 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1993, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2018, 2021 and 2022.
Most College World Series appearances
With Florida State returning to the CWS this season, the Seminoles are now one within Miami for the second most appearances at the CWS. The Hurricanes, who haven't made the CWS since 2016, has 25 appearances compared to the Seminoles now 24.
Here's a full look at the most appearances for a program in CWS history, according to the NCAA:
38: Texas
25: Miami
24: Florida State
22: Arizona State
21: USC
20: Oklahoma State
19: LSU and Stanford
18: Arizona and Cal State Fullerton
14: Florida
12: Clemson, Mississippi State and North Carolina
11: Arkansas, Oklahoma and South Carolina
10: Northern Colorado
8: Michigan and Texas A&M
7: Maine, Oregon State, Rice, Tennessee, Virginia and Wichita State
6: Auburn, Cal, Georgia, Missouri, Ole Miss, St. John's, TCU and Western Michigan
5: Alabama, Louisville, Minnesota, Penn State, Southern Illinois, UCLA, UConn and Vanderbilt
College World Series 2024 odds
Tennessee remains the favorite to win the 2024 College World Series, according to BetMGM. If the Vols do end up hoisting the hub cap around the pitcher's mound, it will be their first national championship title.
Here's a look at the odds for the CWW, according to BetMGM (as of Thursday, June 13):
1. Tennessee (+250)
2. Texas A&M (+350)
3. Kentucky (+450)
4. UNC (+700)
5. Florida State (+750)
T-6. Virginia (+1000)
T-6. NC State (+1000)
8. Florida (+1400)
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: College World Series winners: Which team has most national championships?