Chronicle: College World Series

THE STORIES AND PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S CHRONICLE. AND WELCOME TO CHRONICLE. I’M ROB MCCARTNEY. AFTER A YEAR OF PREPARATION, 15 GAMES AND SOME NERVOUS MOMENTS, THE 2024 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES ENDS AND A WINNER IS CROWNED. YOU KNOW THAT THE TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS WALKED AWAY WITH THE TITLE FIRST EVER FOR THE SCHOOL. AS THE EXCITEMENT OF THE AWES DWINDLES, THOUGH THE EXCITEMENT FOR NEXT YEAR GAINS, IS THERE REALLY A BREAK FOR THE TEAM AT THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES OF OMAHA INCORPORATED? WELL, PROBABLY NOT, ESPECIALLY AS THE 75TH YEAR APPROACHES IN A COUPLE MINUTES, WE’RE GOING TO TALK WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF QUANECIA INCORPORATED ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO PUT ON THE SERIES AND HOW THEY THINK THIS YEAR WENT. THIS MORNING. WE’RE ALSO GOING TO LOOK AT THE BUSINESS EFFORTS FROM BEFORE THE GAMES, STARTING THE LENGTHS THAT SOME FANS WENT THROUGH TO SEE THEIR TEAMS COMPETE. WE’LL HAVE A FEW GAME HIGHLIGHTS AND WE’RE GOING TO WATCH AS TENNESSEE MAKES ITS WAY TO THE TOP OF ROCKY TOP. FIRST, WE WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF WHAT WENT INTO PUTTING ON THIS YEAR’S SERIES. IT WAS A FULL YEAR OF WORK, EVEN ADDING FINISHING TOUCHES JUST MOMENTS BEFORE FANS DESCENDED ON THE STADIUM. CHRONICLES MADDIE AUGUSTINE REPORTED AS THE MAYOR AND U.S. OFFICIALS FIRST SHOWED FANS WHAT THEY COULD LOOK FORWARD TO. IT’S SO GOOD TO BE BACK AT CHARLES SCHWAB STADIUM AT AND WE ARE VERY, VERY PROUD TO BE THE HOST. ONCE AGAIN OF THIS OF THE MEN’S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES. WE’RE JUST DAYS AWAY FROM THE FIRST PITCH OF THE 2024 MEN’S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES. OMAHA HAS BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH THE MEN’S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES. MUCH LIKE LOUISVILLE IS SYNONYMOUS WITH THE KENTUCKY DERBY AND AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, SYNONYMOUS WITH THE MASTERS. ALL EIGHT TEAMS HAVE ARRIVED IN THE FINAL. TOUCHES ARE BEING PLACED ALL THROUGHOUT CHARLES SCHWAB STADIUM DOWN TO THE MENU. FANS CAN LOOK FORWARD TO. THE FIRST BURGER IS THE WALK OFF BURGER, SO IT IS A BREAKFAST THEMED BURGER. I THINK BREAKFAST FOOD, IT’S GOOD BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER. WE DON’T HAVE TO CONFINE IT TO JUST IN THE MORNING. BUT THAT BEING SAID, DOUBLEHEADERS WILL HAVE FOLKS WALKING AROUND AROUND HERE AT 11 A.M. AND JUST OUTSIDE THE GATES OF THE STADIUM. MONTHS OF PREP COMING TO FRUITION AS BASEBALL VILLAGE COMES TO LIFE. I THINK PEOPLE THINK WE JUST KIND OF POP THIS THING UP, AND IT DOES TAKE A YEAR TO PUT INTO PLAN. I MEAN, IT TAKES A YEAR TO PLAN IT. THESE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS HAVE BEEN EVERYONE’S BEEN DOING THE GRIND WHILE PLANNING YOUR TRIP DOWN TO CATCH A GAME, THE NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION URGES EVERYONE TO BE PATIENT WITH THE INCREASE OF TRAFFIC IN DOWNTOWN OMAHA. AND IF YOU ARE DRIVING, MNDOT SAYS VISITORS TAKING INTERSTATE 80 FROM THE WEST ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONTINUE TO I-480 AND USE THE LEAVENWORTH OR HARNEY STREET EXITS, AND THOSE COMING FROM THE EAST SHOULD TAKE THE 13TH STREET EXIT. IF YOU’RE ALREADY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. E-SCOOTERS ARE ALSO AN OPTION, BUT THERE ARE LIMITS TO HOW CLOSE YOU CAN GET TO THE STADIUM, SO BE PREPARED TO WALK A FEW BLOCKS. MADDIE AUGUSTINE KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN. AND WHO BETTER TO TALK ABOUT THE PREPARATION IT TAKES AND HOW THIS YEAR’S SERIES WENT? THEN AMY HORNBACHER. SHE IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF QUEST INC. AND AMY, THANKS FOR BEING HERE TODAY. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. HAPPY TO BE HERE. SO YOU’RE SMILING. YEAH. SO I WANT TO ASK YOU IF YOU HAD TO GIVE A GRADE TO THE HOW THE SERIES WENT THIS YEAR, HOW WHAT GRADE WOULD YOU GIVE IT? GOSH, I THINK I CAN’T GIVE IT AN A PLUS, BUT I THINK IT WAS DEFINITELY AN A IT WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CROWNED A NEW CHAMPION. NEVER WON BEFORE. UM, WE DIDN’T. AND WE FELL SHORT OF OUR ATTENDANCE RECORDS. JUST BECAUSE WE DIDN’T PLAY ON A THURSDAY LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR. UM, BUT WE DID SET SOME AVERAGE ATTENDANCE RECORDS. AND THEN, UM, SOME TV NUMBERS FOR THE FINALS. SECOND MOST WATCHED EVER ON THE ESPN PLATFORMS. YEAH, IT WAS IT WAS FUN TO WATCH. I MEAN, THAT’S ACTUALLY WHERE I SAW IT TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES. AND PEOPLE LOVE TO SEE THE SHOTS WHERE THERE’S PEOPLE IN THE STANDS. YEAH, RIGHT. I MEAN, TV EXECUTIVES LOVE THAT, AND I’M SURE YOU GUYS LOVE THAT TOO. YEAH, I THINK WE’VE SEEN WE’VE SEEN THESE FAN BASES COME IN HERE. RIGHT? WE’VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, THE LSU’S IN THE SCHOOLS FROM MISSISSIPPI. BUT THIS YEAR THESE WERE I MEAN TENNESSEE AND TEXAS A&M HAVE BEEN HERE. BUT UM, BOTH ARE FAN BASES. HAD TWO DAYS TO GET HERE. AND BOY DID THEY EVER LIKE WE WE WERE JUST EVERYBODY. EVERY DAY WAS LIKE, WHO IS HERE MORE. IS THERE MORE ORANGE? IS THERE MORE MAROON? AND, UM, IT SEEMED PRETTY SPLIT. UH, WE HAD THOSE STANDING ROOM ONLY TICKETS THAT WE PUT ON SALE FOR, UM, SATURDAY NIGHT’S GAME. AND I’D NEVER SEEN THE LINE WRAP AROUND THE STADIUM THAT LONG. SO I WAS SPEAKING ACTUALLY THE OTHER DAY WITH ONE OF THE HOTEL EXECS, AND THEY WERE THE HOME TO THE TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS, AND HE SAID IT WAS CRAZY. AND HE SHOWED ME SOME VIDEO THAT HE HAD SHOT ON HIS PHONE, AND IT WAS JUST AMAZING. YEAH, SO MUCH EXCITEMENT, SO MUCH, YOU KNOW, HERE. YEAH, WE HAVE THOSE HOTEL PROPERTIES THAT HOST OUR TEAMS AND, UM, THEY DO A FANTASTIC JOB, ESPECIALLY FOR AS LONG AS THESE TEAMS ARE HERE. RIGHT. WELL, WHETHER AS IT IS WANT TO DO FINDS A WAY TO GET ITSELF INTO THE LINEUP FOR THE FOR THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES, HOW FRUSTRATING IS THAT? I MEAN, YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH IT. YEAH. SO ACTUALLY IT’S CRAZY TO THINK, BUT, UM, THE LAST TWO YEARS WE HAVEN’T HAD ANY, UM, SO WE KIND OF WE HAD TO WATCH IT. I MEAN, THAT’S THE THING. IT WAS LIKE WE ALWAYS WATCHED IT. AND THEN I THINK LAST YEAR WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF LIGHTNING, BUT NOTHING, UM, THAT WAS AS SEVERE. AND THEN OF COURSE, THE SPRING HERE MADE US ALL A LITTLE BIT MORE CONCERNED ABOUT KEEPING MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION WHEN IT CAME TO PUTTING PEOPLE IN THOSE SEATS. UM, AND THEN WHAT WE DON’T TELL THE STORY ENOUGH IS LIKE, WE IF WE START A PITCHING ARM, WE WANT TO GET INNINGS IN. SO WE HAVE TO BE REALLY COGNIZANT WHEN WE TALK TO WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT MEDIA, THREE ACTUALLY, THIS YEAR, METEOROLOGISTS KIND OF TELLING US WHAT THEY THEY THINK. UM, AND SO WE HAVE A LOT THAT GOES INTO MAKING THAT DECISION BECAUSE PEOPLE MAY NOT REALIZE A PITCHER ONCE THEY WARM UP, IT’S IT IS REALLY SOMETHING TO COOL OFF. AND THEN REWARM UP RIGHT. NOT GOOD ON THE ATHLETE. IT DEFINITELY IS NOT. NO. YEAH. WE HEARD IN MADDIE’S STORY THERE ABOUT WHERE JACK TEACHING JUNIOR UH, THE DESYNC FAMILY HAS BEEN PART OF THIS, YOU KNOW, FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS. I MEAN, 67, I THINK IS WHEN THEY STARTED, RIGHT? HOW IMPORTANT IS IS IT TO HAVE A DECADES LONG COMMITMENT FROM SOMEBODY OR SOMETHING FOR TO TO KEEP AN EVENT? YEAH. THE FAMILY LEGACY IS I MEAN, IT’S AWESOME. THEY, UM, OBVIOUSLY, UM, JOHN DAWSON SENIOR WAS THE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE MASTERMIND BEHIND BRINGING THIS HERE, KEEPING IT HERE EVEN IN THE YEARS THAT IT WASN’T SO GREAT. UM, AND THEN JACK IS OBVIOUSLY BEEN LEADING IT FOR THE LONGEST TIME NOW AND THEN, UM, HIS DAUGHTER LISA SERVES ON OUR BOARD AND EXECUTIVE, SO THEIR LONG HISTORY AND THEIR, THEIR LOVE FOR THIS EVENT IS, IS REALLY CRUCIAL. DID YOU GUYS HAVE ANY CURVEBALLS THAT WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT THAT WERE THROWN THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT SAID, HEY, AMY, THIS IS HAPPENING? YEAH. YOU KNOW WHAT? NOT REALLY. I WILL SAY, THOUGH, UM, THESE FAN BASES HAD A LOT OF DIGNITARIES. UM, SO MORE SO THAN, I MEAN, WITH THE, YOU KNOW, GOVERNORS AND THE, YOU KNOW, PEYTON MANNING. UM, AND IT SEEMED AT ONE POINT IT WAS LIKE COUNTRY MUSIC FEST, UM, WITH THE AMOUNT OF COUNTRY MUSIC PEOPLE THAT WERE COMING THROUGH HERE. SO, UM, IT WAS AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, UM, JUST DEALING WITH YOU KNOW, GETTING DIFFERENT DIGNITARIES IN AND OUT MORE SO THAN EVER. SO HOW HARD WAS IT TO GET BASEBALL VILLAGE UP AND RUNNING? OH MY GOSH. TOUGH. SO BASEBALL VILLAGE IS A SEPARATE ENTITY FROM US, RIGHT. UM, BUT THEY ARE SUCH GREAT PARTNERS FOR US. UM, BESIDES OUR LIKE NORMAL OUR FAN FEST THAT THE NCAA SANCTIONS, THEY ARE JUST LIKE ANOTHER PART OF THIS BIG ATMOSPHERE AND SO EVERYTHING THEY DO OVER THERE IS GREAT. UM, THEY’RE GREAT PARTNERS OF OURS. AND YEAH, THEY, THEY ADD, THEY ADD DIFFERENT ELEMENTS. UM, I MEAN, THEY EVEN HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE STUFF FOR THE MOMS AND THE DAUGHTERS AND EVERYTHING TOO. SO YOU GO IN THERE AND THERE’S A LOT TO CHOOSE FROM. SO NEXT YEAR THAT’S A BIG ONE. IT’S A BIG ONE. 75TH. YES. WE’RE EXCITED. WHAT DO YOU GOT COMING. SO WE HAVE I WE’RE HOPING TO ANNOUNCE SOME MORE THINGS SOON. BUT WE WANT TO TO CELEBRATE ALL YEAR ROUND. SO UM WE’RE LOOKING AT SOME STUFF IN THE FALL. UM, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY, UM, KICKING IT OFF, UM, IT’S A, IT’S A REALLY BIG MILESTONE TO, TO HAVE HOSTED THAT LONG IN OMAHA. SURE. UM, DO YOU WANT TO GIVE US ANY HINTS? UM, MAYBE ANOTHER GAME OR SOMETHING? I DON’T KNOW, WE’LL SEE. WE, UH, WE’RE LOOKING AT SOME DIFFERENT THINGS, SO. OKAY, I WON’T PUSH YOU TOO MUCH ON IT. YEAH. I’M NOT. I’M NOT READY YET, BUT SOMETHING COMING UP MAYBE IN THE FALL. WE’LL HEAR LATER. SOMETHING. OKAY. UH, THE CONTRACT FOR THE FOR THE FOR OMAHA. I MEAN, THAT GOES ANOTHER. WHAT TO 2036. CORRECT. SO IT’LL BE 85 YEARS, RIGHT? IN OMAHA. I MEAN, IS THAT PRETTY MUCH LOCKED IN FOREVER? THEN I KNOW THEY’RE I KNOW TECHNICALLY IT HAS TO BE A CONTRACT, BUT MOVING IT AFTER 80 SOME YEARS, I THINK AND THIS IS A STORY THAT WE LIKE TO TELL WHEN WE GO, UM, WHEN YOU SEE THESE, UM, CLUBHOUSES IN THESE FACILITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UM, IN THERE, IT DOESN’T SAY ROAD TO THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES, RIGHT? EVERYWHERE ON THERE, ON EVEN DOWN TO THEIR CLEATS. I THINK TEXAS IN THEIR SUPER REGIONAL HAD UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT OMAHA. UM, IT’S THE ROAD TO OMAHA. SO, UM, AND I THINK WITH THE, THE SUCCESS YEAR AFTER YEAR, UM, I MEAN, I CAN NEVER SAY NEVER, BUT I THINK THAT THE WAY THE CITY, UM, AND ALL THE PARTNERS SUPPORT IT, IT WOULD BE, UM, I THINK THAT IT’LL BE HERE FOR A LONG TIME. YEAH. AND I IMAGINE THE CITY IS GOING TO ACTUALLY FIGHT FOR IT TO MAKE SURE IT STAYS HERE. FINALLY. THEN WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? WOULD IT TAKE ANYTHING SPECIAL TO KEEP IT HERE? I JUST THINK, NO, I THINK HONESTLY JUST DOING WHAT WE’VE BEEN DOING. AND I MEAN OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE WE TAKE A LOOK, WE’LL GO INTO LIKE A PROCESS WHERE WE’LL DEBRIEF THIS AND WE’RE ALWAYS TRYING TO GET BETTER, ALWAYS TRYING TO DO SOMETHING BETTER, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT JUST DOESN’T, YOU KNOW, REMAIN THE SAME. UM, ALWAYS JUST TRYING TO EXCEL THERE. SO. SO YOU’RE GIVING YOUR TEAM ANY TIME OFF NOW? YEAH. WE, UM, WE WERE KIND OF CLEANING UP YESTERDAY. OUR TEAM, OUR FRIENDS AT MECCA, HAVE ANOTHER BASEBALL TOURNAMENT THAT’S GOING ON THIS WEEKEND. SO, UM, BUT OBVIOUSLY WHAT WE’RE GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE TIME OFF AND THEN WE’LL RECOUP AND START CELEBRATING. 75. NICE. HEY, CONGRATULATIONS ON ANOTHER GREAT SERIES. THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK. THANKS. ALL RIGHT. NEXT HERE ON KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN CHRONICLE, WE’RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW THE METRO GOT READY FOR THOUSANDS OF FANS. AND WE’RE GOING TO HEAR FROM BUSINESS OWNERS AND FANS ON HOW THEY ARE CELEBRATING THE GREATEST SHOW