NCAA Composite Bat Moratorium Update

August 14, 2009

The NCAA composite baseball bat moratorium wasn't lifted in NCAA's Wednesday (8/12/09) meeting with the bat manufacturers in Indianapolis. The issue will go to the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee today (8/14/09) and an announcement for the future of the proposed ongoing moratorium will be made after the NCAA oversight Committee meets on 8/21/09.

It appears the composite bat manufacturers still have some explaining to do. But, as of right now there is indeed a NCAA moratorium on composite barrel baseball bats in play and untested.

The speculated conclusion is that something will have to be done with at least the BESR approved composite bats already in play and available for purchase. The BESR bats may simply remain banned and only BBCOR certified composites will be legal which may mean an immediate sunset date on "grandfathered" bats. Since the bats actually violate a current rule, it doesn't appear that there is a solid legal stance for the manufacturers to use as leverage. It appears that NCAA is in the driver's seat on this one.

The new BBCOR test may soon include an ABI protocol much like the ASA softball test now in effect allowing "new" composites back in the game. But the effectiveness of that test is being examined and the rules committee will have to weigh in on that possibility.