Here's why you will never see affiliated or independent baseball playing at the new downtown Omaha ballpark: the going rate for rent is $10,000 per game.
We knew MECA, the Omaha sports commission running the business side of the new College World Series in downtown Omaha, was seeking some serious revenues from potential tenants.
But we had no idea the going rate was $10,000 per game — which is what Creighton University is paying.
No wonder the Omaha Royals (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) walked away from negotiations and worked on a new suburban ballpark. And no wonder why we've heard from folks both in the independent American Association and Northern League have no interest in putting a team there. A lease with little control of revenues past the gate and $10K per game doesn't sound like a great business opportunity to us, either.
RELATED STORIES: New CWS ballpark signs first tenant: Creighton
Subscribers to the weekly Ballpark Digest newsletter see features before they're posted to the site. You can sign up for a free subscription at the Newsletter Signup Page.
Join Ballpark Digest on Facebook and on Twitter!