Getting to the College World Series takes a lot of grit. This time, eating some grits is also a requirement.

The final eight teams in the 2024 NCAA Tournament all come from either the Southeastern Conference or the Atlantic Coast Conference. It’s the first time since 1950, when the College World Series expanded to eight teams, that the entire field comes from only two conferences.

North Carolina State (38-21) joined its ACC brethren Virginia (46-15), Florida State (47-15) and North Carolina (47-14) among the Omaha Eight by beating Georgia 8-5 in Game 3 of their super regional series on Monday.

From the SEC, No. 1 national seed Tennessee (55-12) will join Kentucky (45-14), Texas A&M (49-13) and Florida (34-28).

The SEC has won the last four national championships, with four different teams. If Tennessee, Kentucky or Texas A&M hoist the trophy this year, they would be the seventh different team from the league — half of its current membership — to win a national title since 2010.

The CWS begins Friday with an all-ACC matchup between North Carolina and Virginia at 1 p.m. Tennessee plays Florida State at 6 p.m.

On Saturday, Kentucky faces North Carolina State at 1 p.m.; and Texas A&M takes on Florida in an all-SEC match-up at 6 p.m. All College World Series games will be televised on ESPN.

Of the final eight, only Florida was not a top-16 national seed. Last year’s CWS runner-up lost six consecutive SEC series before taking two of three from Georgia to finish the regular season. A victory in the regular-season finale nudged the Gators’ record above .500 and allowed them to be eligible for the NCAA Tournament.

They’ve won six of their seven NCAA Tournament games since then, including a two-game super regional sweep against Clemson last weekend.

“We never lost faith in our team,” Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan said after Sunday’s 13-inning win against Clemson. “We just weren’t very consistent. At some point, when you do get in the tournament, everybody starts with a clean slate.”

Tennessee is trying to become the first No. 1 national seed since Miami in 1999 to win the national championship. Tennessee is in the CWS for the second year in a row, and third time in four seasons.

The Volunteers are also chasing another piece of history. They’ve hit 173 home runs this season, 15 shy of the single-season record of 188 set by LSU in 1997.

Kentucky is built around pitching. The Wildcats held Oregon State to three hits in sweeping their best-of-three super regional series, and allowed three runs and one extra-base hit in the past 39 innings.

The formula has carried Kentucky to its first appearance in the CWS. They are the only current SEC program that has never played in Omaha.

“It’s crazy. You always, you know you’re going to get there. You know you’re confident in getting there with your squad,” Kentucky catcher Devin Burkes said after the clinching 3-2 win over Oregon State in the super regional on Sunday. “But, man, when it actually happens, it’s like you look around and you’re like, we’re going to Omaha. You know what I’m saying? It’s crazy. It’s crazy.”

2024 College World Series
At Omaha, Nebraska
All games on ESPN unless noted
Double elimination; x-if necessary
June 14
Game 1 – North Carolina vs. Virginia, 1 p.m.
Game 2 – Tennessee vs. Florida State, 6 p.m.
June 15
Game 3 – Kentucky vs. North Carolina State, 1 p.m.
Game 4 – Texas A&M vs. Florida, 6 p.m.
June 16
Game 5 – Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 1 p.m.
Game 6 – Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 6 p.m.
June 17
Game 7 – Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 1 p.m.
Game 8 – Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6 p.m.
June 18
Game 9 – Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 1 p.m.
Game 10 – Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 loser, 6 p.m.
June 19
Game 11 – Game 6 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 12 – Game 8 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 6 p.m.
June 20
x-Game 13 – Game 6 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 1 p.m.
x-Game 14 – Game 8 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 6 p.m.

Championship series
Best-of-3; x-if necessary
Game 1 – June 22, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 2 – June 23, 1 p.m. (ABC)
x-Game 3 – June 24, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
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College World Series champions
2023 – LSU
2022 – Ole Miss
2021 – Mississippi State
2020 – No champion (COVID)
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 – Southern California
1997 – LSU
1996 – LSU
1995 – Cal State Fullerton
1994 – Oklahoma
1993 – LSU
1992 – Pepperdine
1991 – LSU
1990 – Georgia
1989 – Wichita State
1988 – Stanford
1987 – Stanford
1986 – Arizona
1985 – Miami
1984 – Cal State Fullerton
1983 – Texas
1982 – Miami
1981 – Arizona State
1980 – Arizona
1979 – Cal State Fullerton
1978 – Southern California
1977 – Arizona State
1976 – Arizona
1975 – Texas
1974 – Southern California
1973 – Southern California
1972 – Southern California
1971 – Southern California
1970 – Southern California
1969 – Arizona State
1968 – Southern California
1967 – Arizona State
1966 – Ohio State
1965 – Arizona State
1964 – Minnesota
1963 – Southern California
1962 – Michigan
1961 – Southern California
1960 – Minnesota
1959 – Oklahoma State
1958 – Southern California
1957 – California
1956 – Minnesota
1955 – Wake Forest
1954 – Missouri
1953 – Michigan
1952 – Holy Cross
1951 – Oklahoma
1950 – Texas
1949 – Texas
1948 – Southern California
1947 – California