In college baseball, teams don’t say they are going to the College World Series; they say they are going to Omaha. This is the legacy Omaha metropolitan built, bit by bit, over 76 long years. When the three-year-old Men’s College World Series needed a new, long-term home in 1950, John R. Rosenblatt and his colleagues worked together to convince the NCAA to shift the tournament to Omaha. Once the tournament came, it never left. As the College World Series grew in popularity every year, the tournament became a major driving force behind Omaha’s economy. In a recent study, Goss & Associates Economic Solutions, LLC, found that the 2025 Men’s College World Series gave Omaha a major economic boost.

Omaha- a $147.6 million market

The Men’s College World Series returned to Omaha on June 12, 2026. Following last year’s financial success, the metropolitan area should brace itself for another economic uprise. Goss & Associates Economic Solutions, LLC, studied how the 2025 MCWS impacted almost every aspect of Omaha’s economy.

From small local businesses to state economies, from the regional workforce to Nebraska’s tax base, the championship did not leave anything untouched. The economic impact of the 2025 College World Series was 67% more than in 2019, the last pre-pandemic year. But it is more than just a financial recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s the symbol of sustained growth that Omaha has built over the years.

Last year, the tournament generated a record $147.6 million in economic activity in the metropolitan area only. For the state of Nebraska, the impact amounts to $136.4 million. According to Ernie Goss, Ph.D., Principal Investigator on the study, “It (CWS) delivers outsized economic returns through spending, jobs, and tax revenues, while also providing intangible benefits — from civic pride and fan engagement to national visibility.”

What do the numbers speak? A breakdown across different sectors

The Men’s College World Series attracts throngs of fans from states outside of Nebraska. Approximately 71% of the visitors were not residents of the state. Hence, an influx of tourism during the 10-day event is a given. This, in turn, brings an economic surge across the hospitality sector. Hotels, lodges, restaurants, transportation, and other businesses go through some of the busiest days. The study measured the economic impact on these sectors in millions.

As thousands of baseball lovers came together to soak in the unique experience Omaha offers, Nebraska and the city collected $14.4 million in taxes. Sales tax generated $4.5 million, and property tax totaled to $3.3 million. Millions of dollars of revenue were generated by restaurants ($36.5M), lodging ($27.8M), amusement and recreation ($7.9M), car rentals ($4.2M), and real estate ($3.8M).

When the College World Series migrated to Omaha, it did not merely bring the tournament to the city. It brought the seeds of a blossoming economy to the metro city, promising equal development to local and small businesses.

Men’s College World Series— a growth surge for local and small businesses

“Road to Omaha” has become synonymous with college baseball. To watch a College World Series game is often on the checklist of tourists visiting Omaha. With the opening ceremony and welcoming attitude, the people of Omaha offer tourists and college baseball fans an experience unlikely to ever be replicated. From the historic Stadium View Sports Cards store to cafes around Charles Schwab Field in downtown, all offer their own unique experience.

Ready to serve food and drinks, Heirloom’s Market and Café owner Anthony Roza said, “We definitely have good beer, good people, good food. It’s just a really fun area for the College World Series.”

But it does not end with good beer. For a hot day, there is no better option than ice cream, and Coneflower Creamery’s Downtown Omaha manager, Ethan Bortmess, is ready to serve.

“The unique flavors that we have just bring people together with ice cream,” said Bortmess.

Baseball fans must brace themselves for the array of options offered at Millwork Commons, located north of Charles Schwab Field.

To properly serve the CWS attendees, the job market in Omaha saw a considerable movement. Approximately 1,515 full-time equivalent jobs were created across multiple sectors, including hospitality, retail, and others. According to Goss & Associates Economic Solutions, the job market generated $47.9 million in wages and salaries of local workers in Omaha.

But creating an economic impact on such a level would not have been possible if teams, players, and most importantly, fans did not love visiting Omaha.

What makes Omaha unique?

Among the 350,000 fans that attended the 2025 Men’s College World Series in Omaha was 90-year-old Rosary Sorensen, who has been a regular every year since 1950. A native of Omaha, she has maintained her family’s season tickets for decades. Sorensen was a high schooler who lived near the Rosenblatt when she attended her first game with her dad. 76 years later, she has kept the tradition alive.

“Since I retired when I was 65, I think I’ve been there every game. When my husband passed away, my grandkids and my kids stepped in, came to every game with me,” Sorensen told KETV this June.

This fan sentiment echoed in the survey Goss & Associates Economic Solutions carried out in 2025. They divided 4024 attendees from 43 states and three countries into 733 groups, and asked them to rate their experience in Omaha. 43% of fans were first-time attendees. Fans rated the MCWS experience 9.4 out of 10 on average, and Omaha 8.9 out of 10, per the study.

Behind this stellar rating also lies the factor that people in Omaha are ready to do whatever needs to be done. Jim Costello, a team host representing the American Legion, affirmed the same, even if it means driving to Rosenblatt Stadium at 1 am after a tornado delay.

Media Coverage

The media has also done its part to promote the now-thriving College World Series. Fans who cannot attend can remain glued to the broadcast for real-time updates. The study found that last year, from January to June, media coverage produced 46,987 placements reaching an estimated 100.2 billion audience impressions. The advertising value equivalency (AVE) totaled $932.7 million, contributing to an overall publicity value of approximately $2.8 billion for the city of Omaha, per CWS Omaha.

The College World Series practically manufactured a million-dollar industry in Omaha. And in return, Omaha gave it their all to keep the tournament thriving.

What has Omaha given back to CWS?

Omaha stepped up for the College World Series for the first time in 1950. Since then, the city has never stopped extending its support. When CWS relocated, the Omaha Stadium, called Rosenblatt Stadium since 1964, was newly built.

For decades, the stadium hosted baseball games, with tickets ranging from $0.75 to $1 and a quarter.

As the tournament grew, CWS Inc wanted Omaha to remain its home in the future, too. So, in 2008, the College World Series relocated once again. But remained within the city. Charles Schwab Field in downtown became their new home. A 25-year contract was also signed to keep the tournament within the city.

College World Series President Jack Diesing Jr. wants Omaha to continue holding onto its legacy. He is ready to put in the work required for that.

“The infrastructure needed and the support are such that they don’t want to recreate the wheel every time they go someplace,” Diesing Jr told KETV. “So going forward, we’ve got a little work to do to make sure that we continue to demonstrate that we are committed to taking this event to the next level.”

Omaha did not become the Mecca of college baseball in a day, month, or year. It took decades of dedication from John R Rosenblatt, the Diesing family, and others who collaborated with the NCAA long ago in 1950. Today, the economic impact each year crosses $120 million. For giving it such a spectacular home, the CWS has given back abundantly to the city. The economic growth is undeniable, and now Omaha and Diesing Jr are determined to keep the College World Series in the city.