The Men's College World Series -- one of the NCAA's most popular championships -- will have a series within the series starting in 2003. A new best-of-three championship series will be added to the menu, writing another chapter in Omaha's already-rich tradition of college baseball.

The preliminary rounds of the championship will be conducted as usual, but the two bracket survivors in Omaha will play a best-of-three series to determine the NCAA champion.

With the new format set to begin in 2003, this year's CWS will be the last to end in a one-game final.

"Through the years, the college baseball community had come to accept the current format because of the increased exposure we received on television," said Dennis L. Poppe, NCAA senior director of baseball and football. "But this change makes sense for baseball and the College World Series."

Three games better than one

In baseball circles, it is generally accepted that the best team should be determined through a series. The format change not only follows that adage, it also puts the College World Series more in line with the rest of the championship. The tournament begins with four-team, double-elimination regionals, which lead to two-team, best-of-three super regionals. The College World Series starts with two four-team, double-elimination brackets.

The current format has been in place since 1988, and in nine of the previous 14 years, the runner-up was undefeated going into the championship game. In other words, nine second-place teams had only one loss in Omaha, even though the rest of the championship was double elimination.

"Ironically, the only year in which both bracket champions each had one loss going into the final game was the very first -- 1988 -- when Stanford beat Arizona State," said Jim Wright, director of statistics at the NCAA and Men's College World Series media coordinator.

In five of the first 14 years, both bracket champions were undefeated. On four occasions, a once-beaten bracket winner won the championship over a previously undefeated team.

Stanford University is a perfect example of a team that might have benefited from the changed format. The Cardinal lost the last two College World Series championship games. Both times, it was Stanford's only loss in Omaha.

"I think it's a great change and it will create more interest and buildup for the championship," said Mark Marquess, Stanford's head coach. "I don't see a downside to it."

Stanford's last two championship-game losses came in very different ways. Last season, the University of Miami (Florida) trounced the Cardinal, 12-1, in the title game. In 2000, Stanford fell in a heartbreaking loss to Louisiana State University in the last inning, 6-5.

"That's how baseball is," Marquess said. "At this level, most teams are very good and if you have a bad game, you'll get blown out. It will be good to see it play out over a series."

Jim Morris, head coach at Miami (Florida), also thinks the new format makes baseball sense.

"To me, you always find a true champion the more games you play," Morris said. "Two out of three is almost as good as three out of five."

Having pitchers ready for the series doesn't seem to be a major concern for either Marquess or Morris. The Morris-led Hurricanes won the College World Series in 1999 and 2001. In both cases, Morris says his team was ready to play a three-game series.

"Both times, we had our top two pitchers ready to go," Morris said. "It wouldn't be an issue as far as team preparation goes."

Most teams play four games every week during the season anyway, Morris said.

"We're accustomed to playing that much and having our starting pitchers ready to go," he said. "The bottom line is that this is the best way to determine which team is better. The more games you can play, the better it is."

One network better than two

Another advantage of the change is television related. ESPN, which has covered the College World Series in some form since 1980, will become the exclusive home to the games. CBS, which will broadcast the first Saturday and the championship game this season, no longer will televise the championship.

"CBS has been wonderful to the College World Series," Poppe said. "The committee decided that with the agreement, it would be better to have the entire championship on one network. Building the brand that is the College World Series, so to speak, was important. ESPN has greater flexibility in programming as well."

Poppe said the committee discussed three or four formats. It eventually settled on having games Saturday night, Sunday afternoon and the rubber match in prime time on Monday night, if necessary.

Dave Brown, director of programming and acquisitions at ESPN, said the College World Series is an important property to the sports cable network.

"We're thrilled to have the College World Series on ESPN in its entirety," said Brown, who is in his 15th year at ESPN. "We have a long relationship with the CWS and we certainly commend the committee for making this change in format."

Brown sees the opportunity to promote the event through ESPN's many outlets, including Sportscenter, ESPNews and the tournament selection show.

"With everything we can do (on our stations), we hope to create more interest," Brown said. "Now that we're the exclusive home, we'll be bringing a lot of excitement to the event."

Every College World Series seems to have a few heart-stopping, extra-inning games that make for great television. The change to a championship series won't downplay that excitement, Brown said.

"All of the games in Omaha have drama," Brown said. "Every game, the teams are playing for position or to avoid elimination. So we won't lack for drama during bracket play."

Enhanced finances

Financially, the championship stands to turn a potentially larger profit from the expanded format. There will be one and possibly two more sessions at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium, which holds 25,000 fans.

If both teams survive the opening rounds undefeated, the teams will have two days off before starting the championship series. This will allow the squads to rest and study the opposition. It also gives the media more time to build up the series.

"Tickets are at a premium in Omaha, and this expansion gives us the opportunity to expose more fans to the event," Poppe said.

In 2000, the championship earned a little more than $500,000. After expanding to 64 teams in 2001, the championship's revenues expanded as well, clearing $1.2 million. With added sessions in Omaha, that figure likely will increase again.

Title trip-ups

Texas (1989)

Oklahoma State (1990)

Wichita State (1991, 1993)

Georgia Tech (1994)

Miami (Florida) (1996)

Arizona State (1998)

Stanford (2000, 2001)

Four times, a once-beaten team has won the championship over a previously undefeated team.

1989 -- Wichita State over Texas

1990 -- Georgia over Oklahoma State

1993 -- LSU over Wichita State

1998 -- Southern California over Arizona State