Why Is The College World Series Played In Omaha?

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The 2024 College World Series is almost here, as 16 teams attempt to make their way to Omaha. The College World Series has been contested annually since 1947 (with the exception of a cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), and it has been hosted in Nebraska since 1950.

Games will be contested at Charles Schwab Field Omaha, formerly known as as TD Ameritrade Park Omaha.

Why is the College World Series contested in Omaha?

Why is the College World Series contested in Omaha?

The first three years of the CWS weren't contested in Nebraska. It spent two seasons in Kalamazoo, Michigan and a season in Wichita, Kansas.

The current residence can credit former Omaha mayor Johnny Rosenblatt, along with a group dubbed "the founding fathers" in local circles. Rosenblatt spearheaded an initiative to construct Omaha Municipal Stadium, with the expressed purpose to bring in minor league baseball. Ultimately, however, the CWS being hosted in Wichita led to a pivot.

Rosenblatt and the founding founders watched the College World Series in Wichita, and saw opportunity. They proposed the CWS to the city, and ultimately lured it in for 1950, where it's been played ever since.

Was the College World Series in Omaha a success?

Obviously it was ... eventually. The CWS wasn't financially solvent at first for Omaha, and it didn't turn a profit for 10 of its first 12 years. Eventually, however, the CWS turned itself around. Its success in the early years was driven by attendance and physical ticket booklets, but now it has prestige and TV affixed to it.

In 1964, Omaha Municipal Stadium was renamed Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium, in commemoration of the individual who spearheaded the event's relocation to Nebraska. That was three years after Rosenblatt received a lifetime permit to the stadium that would ultimately be named after him.

Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium also hosted the Omaha Storm Chasers (once the Omaha Royals), the Royals' Triple-A affiliate.

What stadium is the College World Series played in now?

The College World Series is now contested in Charles Schwab Field Omaha, which opened in April 2011.

Charles Schwab Field was originally constructed as TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, but was renamed in 2021 after TD Ameritrade was bought by Charles Schwab. The field accommodates 24,000 and can hold up to 35,000. The Creighton Blue Jays also play in the stadium, while the Storm Chasers now play in Werner Park.

Charles Schwab Field Omaha has also hosted an MLB game, as the Royals played the Tigers in 2019 for a one-off matchup.

How much does the College World Series produce for Omaha?

How much does the College World Series produce for Omaha?

The CWS isn't the tremendously profitable venture one might expect. According to ProPublica, it makes an average of a little over $564,000 per year. Around 90 percent of its income consistently comes in from program services.

The economic impact, however, is significant. Research done in 2019 found that the CWS contributed to $6.5 million in compensation for local taverns, restaurants, and other service industries.

The CWS is a tremendously popular event locally, and it has become part of the identity of Omaha.

How long will the CWS be contested in Omaha?

The genuine answer is "indefinitely," but there is a contract that stipulates an end date.

Upon the construction of Charles Schwab Field Omaha, the city and the College World Series engaged into an agreement that will maintain the College World Series in Omaha until at least 2035. In an era where college championships are advancing continually (the Final Four, the College Football Playoff, etc.), that's a fairly absurd quantity.

Tradition runs deep between Omaha and the CWS, however. It doesn't seem like a bond that's going to be severed any time in the foreseeable future.

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Answered 4 months ago Ola	 Hansen	Ola Hansen