Baseball College World Series Travel Guide
The College World Series should be on every baseball fans “Bucket List”
If you haven’t been to College Baseball’s World Series, our travel guide will help you plan for a great time. You’ll see high-quality, high-stakes, competitive baseball in a great setting, with 8 very passionate fan bases! There’s not a bad seat in the house, and you’re likely to see a future big leaguer. Our Baseball College World Series guide will help you find the best places to stay, best places to sit, and best places to buy tickets to the games.
The College World Series has the most passionate fans, from all 8 schools represented.
College World Series (CWS) General Information
College Baseball’s World Series occurs over a 10 or 11 day span in mid-June each year in Omaha, Nebraska. The 8 remaining teams from the NCAA Tournament battle for the championship, with all games at Charles Schwab Field in downtown Omaha.
Format: The field consists of 2 double-elimination brackets, with 4 teams in each. The two survivors of those brackets face off in a best-of-three championship round to determine the NCAA Champion.
Schedule: The games start on the Friday before Father’s Day, with 2 games played daily (at 1pm and 6pm Central time) from that Friday through the following Wednesday. Games are played on Thursday only if necessary, and the 2nd Friday is an off day. The championship round takes place between the bracket winners on Saturday, Sunday, and if necessary, on Monday.
History: To see a history of champions, visit the NCAA Website.
College World Series Guide to Best Seats at Charles Schwab Field
There are few, if any, bad seats at Charles Schwab Field. However, as in all stadiums, some are better than others.
The stadium consists of two levels, although there are 100, 200, and 300 level tickets. The 100-level sections consist of roughly 25 rows and are closest to the action. Much of the 200 level are “Club seats”, that have exclusive access to an air-conditioned concourse. This includes Sections 203-220.
100 Level Seating at College World Series
Actually, most of the seats at Charles Schwab Field are on the 100-level, completely surrounding the field. The best view will be between the dugouts, but even the outfield seats offer a good view at a more reasonable price. The outfield seats can get particularly hot, as there is no protection from the sun.
200 Level & Club Seating at Charles Schwab Field
Club seating for about 2500 fans is located on the second deck, sections 204 through 220. Entrance to this area is through some restricted doors, so good luck sneaking in here. In addition to air-conditioned comfort, there are some additional upscale food offerings included in the higher cost of tickets for these sections.
300 Level Seating
There are only a few sections on the 300 level, 3 sections each in the Right Field and Left Field Corners. Although these seats are as far away from home plate as you can get, they would be awesome seats in a major league ballpark. The stadium holds 24,000 fans, so even sitting up here you are not as far away as in most stadiums. And remember, the fans are just as passionate up here (maybe more so) as those in lower levels.
Be sure to read our Travel guide article on best places to stay in Omaha for the College World Series
Other things to do in and around Omaha
There are plenty of other things to do around Omaha when you’re not at a College World Series game. Here are some of the highlights from our trip.
Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge
Use the pedestrian bridge to walk all the way from Nebraska to Iowa! The bridge is 0.9 miles long, and the highlight is taking a picture with a foot in both states at the same time. A very modern bridge, it’s lit up nicely at night. It even has its own Twitter and Instagram accounts!
Casinos
Just a few minutes away across the river in Iowa, gambling is legal (including sports betting). The largest riverboat casino in Iowa, the Ameristar is right there in Council Bluffs, and offers plenty of table games, a sports book, and slot machines. You can even choose to stay at the hotel on site.
Beercade2
Located in a really cool section of town called “Little Bohemia”, just a couple miles south of the ballpark, this throwback arcade has your favorite arcade games from the 80’s, as well as a row of pinball machines. Also, as the name implies, in addition to games, Beercade has a great selection of local and national craft beers. Bear in mind that children, accompanied by an adult, are allowed only until 7pm, at which point it becomes 21+.
Old Market
The Old Market neighborhood of Omaha is about a 10 minute stroll south of Charles Schwab Field. Here you’ll find a walkable neighborhood with plenty of restaurants, bars, specialty shops, and one of the best tiki bars we’ve ever been to, Laka Lono Rum Club.
