'We don't want to lose it': Creighton, CWS ask legislature to help fund baseball infrastructure modernization
Creighton and the College World Series are asking the Nebraska legislature for more than $25 million for baseball fields.
As Creighton’s campus expands, access to the current facility could be impacted.
But more so, the College World Series said it'll help improve the CWS experience in Omaha and hopefully promise its future here.
Creighton pitched a $60 million idea for the campus bringing in an expanded health center, but also modernizing the ball fields.
They said this request will help keep Omaha as the home for baseball's biggest show and the investment, is worth it.
"We can't rest on our laurels because we know everybody would like to have the college world series and we don't want to lose it,” said Jack Diesing, College World Series President and Board Chairman.
He supports Creighton’s ask for $25.1 million from the Nebraska legislature to modernize Omaha’s baseball infrastructure.
He said feedback from teams each year supports it, too.
"What we're finding out is other conferences like the Southeastern Conference, for example, their tournament, they have two quality practice fields, just the size of the stadium right next to the stadium. We have none. It's very important just on a proactive basis to have a practice facility close by the stadium, basically in the same configuration of the stadium, same size of the stadium,” Diesing said.
The bill, proposed by Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, provides a $60 million grant for multiple campus projects.
The $25 million goes to a complex of baseball and softball fields.
They'd serve as practice fields for CWS teams, home fields for Creighton’s baseball and softball teams, a community space for youth sports, and youth tournaments Nebraska hosts each year.
“Basically it's about 10,000 kids and about a thousand teams. And this would not be in the state of Nebraska if it were not for the College World Series,” Diesing said.
Creighton said in a statement, “As a longtime host institution of the College World Series, Creighton University is committed to maintaining the success of this celebrated event and continuing to maximize its positive impact on Nebraska’s economy. One of the biggest needs for teams who come here for the college world series is access to nearby practice facilities. By modernizing and expanding practice fields, we can also create more opportunities for hosting local, regional, and national competitions for softball and baseball events, such as slumpbuster, which brings teams from 40+ states each year and contributes millions to our economy. Investment from the state would forge a key partnership to helping get the project underway sooner rather than later and will prepare us to keep the College World Series in Nebraska into the future."
Diesing said it'll help solidify Omaha’s spot as CWS host and is well worth it for the economic impact alone.
“The CWS brings in $88 million of annual economic impact creating 1,100 jobs and providing about 8.6 million of tax revenue,” he said.
Creighton fans said it's a good move.
"I think it's a great idea for Creighton because their onsite field right now is not the greatest. So, yeah, I think it'd be a really good idea. Plus, teams when they come in from the CWS have a place to practice,” said Nick Sailors, a Creighton fan.
Even former Creighton players, who say Charles Schwab Field is a luxury, believe the investment makes sense.
“The field we played out when I played at Creighton was a field that the teams practice, but it was a long ways from campus. We were kind of an unknown commodity back then,” said Mitch Murphy.
“They always want to keep making the experience better for the teams and having a, you know, fields close by to practice instead of having to bus across town somewhere to like, you know, field or something would be would be nice.”
Murphy said he’s thinking of the investment in terms of economic impact, too.
“I'm an accountant also, and so I always look at the numbers and like to see something that makes some sense. You know, this stadium makes sense even with as little that actually goes on in here, right? This stadium, the CWS, the economy from the CWS makes it feasible hopefully that would help make these other fields feasible as well,” Murphy said.
Diesing said it’s important to be proactive with their planning. He said the improvement will also improve North Omaha’s access to ball fields.
The plan also calls for improved pedestrian access around Burt Street on the Creighton campus.
The appropriations committee took the bill under advisement, there's been no decision or movement since early March.