Play Ball: Why not put the Big Red in the 'Blatt?
8 comments so far
August 5, 2009 by
There's been a lot of talk recently about college football in baseball stadiums. Over the next five seasons, Army will make the new Yankee Stadium their second home and Illinois and Northwestern are reportedly eyeing a date at Wrigley Field. It was only a matter of time then before someone started asking what about the Big 12?
The problem, of course, is the lack of historical ball parks in the Big 12 footprint. None of the major league parks have any football history--something both the Friendly Confines and the House that Steinbrenner Built (sort of) can claim--and only Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium has been in existence longer than 30 years.
But who says it has to be big league stadium with a big non-conference match-up? There is a little stadium just off South 13th street in Omaha that's going to need a rousing send off next year.
Make no mistake, Nebraska playing a football game in Rosenblatt Stadium will never happen for a thousand different reasons. For starters, Rosenblatt only seats about 25,000 for baseball so, even with some additional temporary seating, what would you do with the other 50,000-plus that normally show up for Husker home games? There's no good answer but there's something to be said for intentionally creating a tough ticket. If nothing else, with so many people shut out, the taligating would be epic and, presumably, so would the Pay Per View numbers.
I've always felt like the College World Series gets the short end of the stick when it comes to destination sporting events. It doesn't have the glitz of the Kentucky Derby or the history of the Indy 500. It's not as important nationally as the Super Bowl or the Final Four. It's always a hot, muggy and cacophonous event. In fact, like 75 mph speed limits or buying your beer and groceries in the same place, I didn't fully appreciate the CWS for the event that it is until I moved away. While it might fall pretty far down the national to-do list, I quickly realized once I could no longer go that Rosenblatt Stadium, and by extension the state of Nebraska, is home to one of of the most tradition-rich sporting events in the country. The only thing that can come close to rivaling it in the state is a Nebraska football game.
See where I'm going here? Again, there's not a snowball's chance it would ever happen, but it's at least fun to entertain the possibility. You can't tell me that playing the game in Rosenblatt wouldn't add a lot of intrigue to that South Dakota State tilt next season. Actually, that would probably be all of the intrigue.
Sure, Nebraska would take a bit of a monetary hit to send the old stadium out in style but could there be a better cause? For the past 50-plus years Rosenblatt and Memorial Stadiums have stood as the twin pillars of the Nebraska sports scene, the two places the rest of the country ever deigns to notice from time to time. One of those will still be kicking come 2011. Why not give the other one the ultimate tribute?
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caveman99 Aug 05 09
Brandon,
I thought the title of the story was a joke, then I actually read your story. I am not sure where to beging with this one.
First let's look at this statement, "Sure, Nebraska would take a bit of a monetary hit to send the old stadium out in style..." Are you serious, a bit? I am not sure what Husker Football tickets cost anymore as I haven't been to one in 6-7 years. Just using what I can only assume to be a low estimate of $30 per, that is $1.5 million in lost revenue for the lost 50K(+)seats. I am not sure you can raise the seat prices up enough on the 25K in attendance to offset that difference. You would have to triple the cost of the tickets. Do people really want to pay that to see a game in old Rosenblatt?
That brings me to how horrible that game experience would be, and why no one would pay a surcharge to attend. No video boards, no tunnel walk, no speakers, only limited seating options, etc. You wouldn't have the hotdog shooters because all of the fans would be too close that if they did shoot them people would suffer bodily harm. What kind of home field environment is that? Who wants to go to that?
The seating issues bring me to my last point, Rosenblatt can't even physically host a football game. Dual purpose stadiums, baseball and football, have moveable stands. Rosenblatt obviously doesn't. It would be a pretty extensive construction project to remove the stands, build news ones, ensure that access is available to all stands, oh and ensure you have a big enough field to play football on. This would not come cheap and goes back to my first point. Even if you do get people to pay triple the cost of a standard ticket cost, you would lose hundreds of thousands on the work needed just to make this feasible.
Look I am as nostolgic about the CWS just like you are, in fact just like you I miss it more now that I am far away. Rosenblatt holds a special place in my heart, but honestly the event is what really what I remember. The CWS is special for a variety of reasons, those reasons will mostly continue to exist downtown. Rosenblatt is a graceful old lady that has run her course, untimely end or not. There is no way I would ever consider putting the Huskers in that place.
Brandon Aug 05 09
caveman99,
All valid points and probably just scratching the surface of the logistical nightmare this would be. But I'm more interested in the idea of the game rather than its execution.
I think there's something to be said for football without weiner slingers, tv boards, constant stimulation. Sometimes it's good to be uncomfortable, for everyone involved.
But if it's too much of hypothetical leap, how about this: put next year's spring game in Rosenblatt. Don't make any changes to the seating, line out a field and get on with the glorified scrimmage.
Mark Aug 05 09
Instead of a regular season game, how about the red-white game at the 'Blatt? Or instead of the red-white game, maybe we play a scrimmage game with UNO. That would be a nice tie-in with Trev Alberts being the AD.
TundraHusker Aug 05 09
Mark,
That UNO scrimmage at Rosenblatt is a pretty good idea. I'm not sure how the coaching staffs would feel, but I really like the idea.
caveman99 Aug 05 09
Although I think the Spring Game has more merit, I think it hurts the program because of the recruiting tool that game has become. Not sure Rosenblatt will do the same job. I think maybe a scrimmage with UNO as Mark pointed out would be cool and I could definately see in Rosenblatt. I would take one of the Fall Ball scrimmage days and make it happen. That would be awesome!!!
RedDenver Aug 05 09
I agree with everything caveman said. Plus I would like to add that some of us football fans don't like baseball. Why would I want to go to a park made for a game I dislike to watch football? The views will be less than ideal and tradition of any sort will be lacking. It's just a publicity stunt, and I'm betting the publicity would be bad (i.e. how bad the seating is, how bad the parking is, etc.) I just see this as a really bad idea, sorry.
A better idea would be to have the Lancers play hockey at Rosenblatt. The size of the park and the number of fans likely to attend would be realistic for that venue. And, for me personally, it combines two things I couldn't care less about. A win-win!! ;)
TIM Aug 05 09
Now i know why the big 12 did not let BRN participate in media days
TIM Aug 05 09
If NU wants to play a football game in a baseball stadium do it down here in arlington or houston that way they can use it as a recruiting tool