2008 Woodie Awards
For Rosenblatt, CWS hopes rest on council
Omaha, government working on deal to keep championship
Oskar Garcia
The Associated Press
Issue date: 2/26/08 Section: Sports
OMAHA, Neb. - As Omaha and NCAA officials negotiate a long-term College World Series deal, backers of the effort to keep the series at Rosenblatt Stadium say their hopes may rest with pressuring the City Council to reject plans for a new stadium.
If the stadium were to be publicly financed, plans would have to go to the City Council.
But if the council were to vote against those plans, Rosenblatt proponents said, their proposal could get more consideration.
"It'll be a gloves-off fight to the very end, and we will not give in and (Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey) will not give in," Jason Smith, chairman of the group Save Rosenblatt, said Monday.
Fahey has long backed a new stadium as the best option for Omaha, saying it lets the city wrangle a longer deal with the NCAA and would spark long-term development in south Omaha near the zoo and in north downtown where the stadium would be built.
During a meeting Tuesday with NCAA officials, Fahey is expected to commend a new ballpark on two Qwest Center parking lots as the city's best option. Fahey and Ken Stinson, the chairman of Fahey's stadium review committee, refused to give plan details or explain until after the meeting why the committee decided a new stadium would be better than renovating Rosenblatt.
"The City Council has to be brought into this because of financing obligations," said Joe Gudenrath, the mayor's spokesman. "The mayor has briefed the City Council on numerous occasions ... and continues that discussion with them."
The most recent estimates to build a new stadium near the Qwest Center are between $130 million and $140 million, about $60 million more than an estimated renovation of Rosenblatt.
The current contract between the NCAA and Omaha for the series expires in 2010. Omaha has until April 30 to reach a deal. After that, other cities could bid for the series.
More than 300,000 people attended College World Series games over 10 days last June.
If the stadium were to be publicly financed, plans would have to go to the City Council.
But if the council were to vote against those plans, Rosenblatt proponents said, their proposal could get more consideration.
"It'll be a gloves-off fight to the very end, and we will not give in and (Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey) will not give in," Jason Smith, chairman of the group Save Rosenblatt, said Monday.
Fahey has long backed a new stadium as the best option for Omaha, saying it lets the city wrangle a longer deal with the NCAA and would spark long-term development in south Omaha near the zoo and in north downtown where the stadium would be built.
During a meeting Tuesday with NCAA officials, Fahey is expected to commend a new ballpark on two Qwest Center parking lots as the city's best option. Fahey and Ken Stinson, the chairman of Fahey's stadium review committee, refused to give plan details or explain until after the meeting why the committee decided a new stadium would be better than renovating Rosenblatt.
"The City Council has to be brought into this because of financing obligations," said Joe Gudenrath, the mayor's spokesman. "The mayor has briefed the City Council on numerous occasions ... and continues that discussion with them."
The most recent estimates to build a new stadium near the Qwest Center are between $130 million and $140 million, about $60 million more than an estimated renovation of Rosenblatt.
The current contract between the NCAA and Omaha for the series expires in 2010. Omaha has until April 30 to reach a deal. After that, other cities could bid for the series.
More than 300,000 people attended College World Series games over 10 days last June.
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