The Greatest Sporting Event We're Not Talking About
I'll admit it, this is really just a chance for me to stand atop a hill and shout about how much I love the College World Series.
In the dark doldrums of the sports calendar that is mid-June, a bright light shines for those who know where to look. And I don't mean on TV. You'll have to get your butt in a seat in Omaha, Neb., to know what I'm talking about here.
The College World Series might not land on the 25 best sporting events on anyone's list except mine and that's why I see it important to let as many people know about the greatness of this event.
I had the privilege to attend opening day of the 2021 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park (now known as Charles Schwab Field but that just doesn't do it for me). If you follow along with our college baseball postseason coverage, you already know just how off-the-rails this sport gets with upsets and action. It's truly an underrated gem of a league in the first place.
The College World Series is truly Omaha's. Few cities are so tied to a sporting event– think the NFL Combine and Indianapolis– that we can just refer to the city name and leaguewide they know what we're talking about.
The pride that comes with such a pillar event is palpable in the city. Local businesses fully delve into the College World Series spirit. A local ice cream joint, eCreamery, used to go as so far as to release eight limited-time flavors for each of the teams in the CWS; sadly, as editor Barry Lewis let me in on, they don't do this anymore.
Barry Lewis
Nationally, the city of Omaha doesn't get the light it deserves. Instead, it's lumped into the stereotype that is cornfields and nothingness attached with Nebraska, often overlooked for the city down the road that houses the Nebraska Cornhuskers (Lincoln). But it's a Midwest city with charm. It's surprisingly apt with local food options and the Midwestern spirit burns strong there. (Note: I'm a Midwesterner myself, so this really wets my whistle.)
So many large sporting events– particularly in the college space– are becoming unaffordable to the average person. Want a ticket to the College Football Playoff? That'll be $300, please. Want to attend the Final Four? Better start saving now. But the College World Series is still accessible to the everyman, with tickets often going for as little as $30.
Parking, too, is affordable– an expense often overlooked. Just blocks away from the ballpark goes for $15.
The fan fest surrounding the stadium pregame is well worth the time. Since this is a summer-based event, it leans heavily on lemonades and snow cones and beer. You can also grab a photo with the championship trophy:
What's particularly great about the College World Series is the explosive atmosphere passionate fans from all around country bring with them. While college baseball is pretty regional– with most of the best teams coming from southern or western states– you typically have a melding pot of different cultures and people (I understand this year is a bad example of that). In this year, you had three reps from the SEC, two from the Pac-12, two from the ACC, and one from the Big 12.
Inside the park itself, tickets are divided up to halve the stadium between fanbases. From this, you get cross-park jeers thrown at each other and competitions to see how loud each team's fans can get. It far outdoes Major League parks in terms of chants, traditions, and overall excitement (this goes for home college games, too).
Lastly, you have the unmatched and unwavering emotions and excitement from the teams. For most of these players, Omaha is it. Out of 300 programs across the country, eight punch their ticket here. It took luck, it took heroics, and it took grit from these players. To see them on their biggest stage is magic.
This year, we had upstart NC State playing Stanford in the tournament's opening game. The Wolfpack had pulled a stunning upset of the nation's top seed, Arkansas, in the Super Regional round and were just beginning a historic tear through the tournament. Their fans showed up in droves and the 98º sweltering weather wasn't enough to burn out their excitement.
NC State pulled the upset in this game and would go onto the semifinals, where an extremely unfortunate rash of COVID-19 outbreaks curbed the team and controversially eliminated them from the tournament.
The College World Series is a blend of passion, tradition, and unmatched summertime euphoria that you won't find anywhere else. Grab a beer, bring the sunscreen, and enjoy the greatest sporting event that no one is talking enough about.
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