The Big 12 has introduced tablets into the dugouts of conference baseball games, as part of a collaboration with Microsoft and an experimental rule from the NCAA.
Much like MLB’s policy with iPads during games, the Microsoft Surface devices are tightly controlled and limited to certain apps. TrackMan is permitted for live ball flight data, although ball/strike location is blocked, and three tools are allowed for analysis and scouting reports: 6-4-3 Charts, TruMedia and Synergy. A few Microsoft apps, such as Excel and OneNote, are also available.
“It’s something that our coaches wanted and needed,” said Big 12 Dir of Competition John Payne.
The SEC first began using tablets in the dugout last year under the same experimental rule. One key difference in the NCAA policy is that, while MLB clubs can access in-game video on a half-inning delay, all in-game video is prohibited in college baseball; footage from prior games, however, can be reviewed. Blocking balls and strikes from appearing in the data feed required a custom fix but was deemed necessary to prevent coaches from using that info to criticize umpires.
Payne indicated that early feedback from coaches has been positive and that student-athletes are also embracing the tech.
“Players will look at it, too,” he said. “If you’re looking at, let’s say, a pitcher came in and maybe you haven’t faced him yet, you go take a quick look at his arm angle from two games ago or something like that. Eventually, I think probably next steps would be to be able to look at video in-game like they do in MLB and be able to look at your previous at bat and all that good stuff.”
Microsoft’s first foray into college sports was its relationship with the Big 12, which started in 2024 when it became the technology provider on the football sidelines. Payne said the league’s baseball teams invested in boosting in-ballpark WiFi capabilities earlier this year to facilitate the expansion into dugouts. He indicated that softball and maybe volleyball were other candidates to be granted in-game tablets.
The introduction of tablets into Big 12 dugouts was first reported by Base 12, and their use is limited to intra-conference games for 2026. The league and the NCAA are taking a measured approach to the rollout, but Payne said he expects wider distribution in the years to come.
“My guess is that eventually this does get fully implemented as an NCAA baseball rule and that we’ll see it in Omaha,” he said. “I think we’re making progress there.”
