NCAA president makes first visit to CWS

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- NCAA President Myles Brand made his first visit to the College World Series to see the first game of the best two-of-three championship Saturday and liked what he saw.

"I've watched it on television before, but this is a first in person. Baseball is always better in person," Brand said as Rice and Stanford began their championship matchup.

And Brand liked what he saw of the tournament atmosphere at Rosenblatt Stadium and in Omaha.

The city has been home to the Division I baseball championships since 1950.

"It's an interesting spirit here. It feels good," he said. "The fans are excited. The stadium is great. I'm really pleased with the relationship between Omaha and the NCAA. The city has really supported this activity over the years."

The tradition that has grown in the CWS at Omaha is how college athletics should be, he said.

He also liked the matchup for the championship this year.

"These are two very good baseball teams, no question about it," he said. "But they also are coming from two terrifically proficient academic institutions. The moral of the story is it isn't either-or, you can both athletically proficient and academically superior at the same time. These teams have proven that."

Brand sees college baseball on an upswing in popularity. He called college sports cyclical by nature, but baseball finds itself in a growth pattern.

"I think the fan base is increasing," he said. "I don't know what the upside will be in the next decade but we are making major progress in baseball."

He also does not see a change in the relationship between the NCAA and Omaha.

"People don't talk about the College World Series, they talk about Omaha," Brand said. "This long tradition and good working relationship between the city of Omaha and the NCAA, it's hard for me to conceive moving this somewhere else."

While there may be more money to be made moving the CWS somewhere, Brand said that is not what college athletics should be about. "It's getting the spirit of the game, which you see here," he said.

Brand called Omaha and it's relationship with the CWS "a historical accident."

"It's been here over 50 years and it just builds year after year," he said. "You build expectations in coming back. The city does a terrific job."

Football has had its parallel, he said, noting the tradition of the Rose Bowl with the Pac 10 and Big 10 had the same fan following and community support that made it a strong event over many years.

 

Related information

Stories

College World Series Coverage Notebook: Parity raises scholarship questions

Multimedia

Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video