Omaha fits well within the footprints of the American Association and the Northern League. Will either circuit compete with the suburban-bound Omaha Royals?
With the announcement that the Omaha Royals (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) had entered into a exclusive negotiating period with suburban Sarpy County for a new ballpark, the assumption many had that the team would end up playing at a downtown College World Series ballpark was shattered.
Perhaps temporarily, of course; officials with the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority say will make another run at the O-Royals ownership. But they also raise an intriguing possibility: they say they’re in talks with two independent leagues — the American Association and we presume the Northern League — to place a team downtown.
We’ve learned talks with American Association officials and MECA have indeed taken plan. But those were in the past, and we’re guessing they occurred with the assumption the Omaha Royals would end up in Sugar Land, Texas or Vancouver. With the Royals remaining in the market, things change.
It probably doesn’t make the best business sense for an independent league to place a team in Omaha with the Royals still around, and we’re not sure there would be a lot of revenue left over after the College World Series and MECA sucks up every available dollar — which they’ll need to pay down the ballpark debt.
More from the Omaha World-Herald.
RELATED STORIES: O-Royals, Sarpy County reach initial agreement on new ballpark
Like this story? Then subscribe to the weekly Ballpark Digest newsletter, where you’ll see sneak previews of articles before they’re posted to the site. You can sign up for a free subscription at the Newsletter Signup Page.