Sports in Omaha, Nebraska facts for kids
Omaha, Nebraska, is a city that loves sports! People here really enjoy watching games, and the city helps support many sports teams and cool places to play.
Omaha has hosted some big sports events. Since 1950, it has been the home of the College World Series baseball tournament. Golf tournaments like the Cox Classic and the Pinnacle Bank Championship have also taken place here.
In the past, Omaha had other sports teams, including the Omaha Flames (soccer), the Omaha Dodgers (baseball), and two professional hockey teams, the Omaha Knights and the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights. There was also a basketball team called the Omaha Racers and a football team, the Omaha Nighthawks.
Sports in Omaha
Many different sports have a history in Omaha. For example, the American Taekwondo Association was started here in 1969 by Haeng Ung Lee.
Basketball Teams
In 1972, a major basketball team, the Cincinnati Royals from the National Basketball Association (NBA), moved to Kansas City and also played some games in Omaha. They were called the Kansas City-Omaha Kings. This was the only time Omaha had a major league sports team, even though it was shared. The team stopped playing in Omaha in 1975.
From 1988 to 1997, the Omaha Racers played basketball at Ak-Sar-Ben. They won the CBA league championship in 1993.
Cricket Clubs
Cricket is also played in Omaha!
- In 1991, the Omaha Cricket Club was formed. They play at N.P. Dodge Park.
- In 2010, the Cricket Association of Nebraska was created. They have a home ground at Freedom Park.
- The Simply Play Cricket Club started in 2011 and plays at Hefflinger Park Cricket Field.
- In 2013, students formed the University Of Nebraska Omaha Cricket Club. They played at the UNO Dome.
Football Teams
The Omaha Beef is an indoor football team that plays at Ralston Arena. Before that, they played at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. The Omaha Nighthawks football team also played here from 2010 to 2012.
Omaha also has a semi-pro team called the Omaha Stockmen (started in 2015) and a women's team, the Omaha Heart, which began in 2013.
Baseball History
One of the first baseball teams in Omaha was the Luxus. They played in 1915 for the Amateur World Championship. Over the years, Omaha has had many baseball teams with different names. These include the Omaha Omahogs, Omaha Indians, Omaha Packers, and Omaha Cardinals.
In the 1940s, the Omaha Rockets was an independent baseball team with African American players. They played against other teams from across the U.S.
Today, the Omaha Storm Chasers are the city's minor league baseball team. They are connected to the Kansas City Royals major league team.
| Years | Team Name | League | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1879 | Omaha Green Stockings | Northwestern League | |
| 1888 | Omaha Lambs | Western Association | |
| 1892–1901 | Omaha Omahogs | Western League | |
| 1902–1903 | Omaha Indians | Western League | |
| 1904 | Omaha Rangers | Western League | |
| 1905–1920 | Omaha Rourkes | Western League | |
| 1921–1927 | Omaha Buffaloes | Western League | |
| 1928–1929 | Omaha Crickets | Western League | |
| 1930–1935 | Omaha Packers | Western League | |
| 1936 | Omaha Robin Hoods | Western League | |
| 1947–1959 | Omaha Cardinals | Western League | |
| 1961–62 | Omaha Dodgers | American Association | |
| 1969–1998 | Omaha Royals | American Association | |
| 1999–2001 | Omaha Golden Spikes | Pacific Coast League | |
| 2002–2010 | Omaha Royals | Pacific Coast League | |
| 2011– | Omaha Storm Chasers | Pacific Coast League |
Omaha has hosted the College World Series—the final rounds of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship—since 1950. It was first held at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium, but now it's at TD Ameritrade Park. Omaha will continue to host this big event until at least 2035.
Soccer Teams
On May 1, 2019, Omaha announced it would get a new professional soccer team called Union Omaha. They started playing in 2020 at Werner Park.
The team plans to build a new 7,000-seat stadium in downtown Omaha. This stadium is expected to open in 2026. Union Omaha hopes to move up to a higher league once their new stadium is ready.
Hockey Teams
Ice hockey is a popular sport to watch in Omaha. The Omaha Lancers are a junior hockey team that started in 1986. They have played in different arenas over the years and now play at the Ralston Arena.
The University of Nebraska Omaha also has a men's ice hockey team, the Mavericks. They play their home games at Baxter Arena, which opened in 2015. The Mavericks are very popular and made it to the Frozen Four (the semifinals of the NCAA Division I hockey tournament) in 2015.
The Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights were another professional hockey team that played in Omaha. They moved to another city in 2007.
In 2013, two hockey games were played outdoors at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha as part of the "Battles on Ice" event.
Roller Derby Action
In 2006, the Omaha Rollergirls played their first game. They had two teams, the Victoria's Secret Service and the Lowdown Lucys. The team started playing at the Mid-America Center and became one of the top teams in their region.
In 2015, the Omaha Rollergirls hosted a big playoff event at Ralston Arena, with teams from all over fighting to move forward. In 2016, they celebrated their 10th season. In 2019, the team changed its name to Omaha Roller Derby.
Indoor Soccer Teams
In 2010, the Major Indoor Soccer League added a team in Omaha called the Omaha Vipers. They played at the Civic Auditorium but stopped after one season.
Omaha City Football Club started in 2016 and plays in the Premier Arena Soccer League. They also compete in Major League Futsal.
Wrestling in Omaha
Omaha has a strong connection to wrestling. Martin Burns ran a successful wrestling school here in the 1910s. Joe Stecher, a wrestler from Nebraska, won a national championship title in Omaha in 1915.
Many famous wrestlers have lived in or are from Omaha, including Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon, Ted DiBiase, and Sting. Omaha also hosted a big WWE wrestling event called Judgment Day in 2008.
Volleyball Teams
Omaha is home to professional volleyball teams:
- Omaha Supernovas
- LOVB (League One Volleyball) Omaha
College Sports Teams
Creighton University Bluejays
The Creighton Bluejays play in many NCAA Division I sports. In 2013, Creighton joined the Big East Conference. The men's basketball team plays at the CHI Health Center. The women's basketball and volleyball teams play on campus at D. J. Sokol Arena. Their soccer teams play at Morrison Stadium.
Creighton's men's basketball team is very popular. They have been to the NCAA tournament many times. In the 2018–19 season, Creighton was one of the top teams in the country for how many fans came to their home games.
University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks
The Omaha Mavericks represent the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) in NCAA Division I sports. They play in the Summit League for most sports. The Mavericks hockey team is part of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
Sports Venues in Omaha
Omaha has many great places where sports events happen.
Historic Stadiums
Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium used to be the home of the Omaha Royals baseball team and hosted the College World Series from 1950 to 2010. It was taken down in 2011.
The Omaha Civic Auditorium was a large arena that closed in 2014. Many teams played there, including the Creighton Bluejays basketball team, the UNO hockey team, and the Omaha Beef football team.
Current Major Venues
The CHI Health Center in downtown Omaha is a big arena. It hosts Creighton men's basketball games and the Nebraska State Wrestling Tournament every year. It has also hosted the USA Swimming Olympic Trials multiple times.
Morrison Stadium is a 6,000-seat soccer stadium on the Creighton campus. It is home to the Creighton Bluejays men's and women's soccer teams.
D. J. Sokol Arena opened in 2009 on the Creighton campus. It is home to the Bluejays women's basketball and volleyball teams.
Newer Sports Parks
Two new baseball parks opened in Omaha in 2011. Charles Schwab Field Omaha (originally TD Ameritrade Park) is in downtown Omaha. It can hold 24,000 people and is built for the College World Series. It is also home to Creighton's baseball team.
Werner Park is a smaller stadium in Papillion. It is home to the Omaha Storm Chasers baseball team and will be the home of the Union Omaha soccer team starting in 2020.
Ralston Arena opened in 2012 in Ralston. It is home to the Omaha Beef indoor football team and the Omaha Lancers junior hockey team.
Baxter Arena opened in 2014 and is owned by the University of Nebraska Omaha. It is the main home for the Omaha Mavericks men's ice hockey and basketball teams.
| Venue | Sport(s) | Location | Description | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium | Baseball, Football | South 10th Street | Minor League Baseball stadium. Host of the College World Series from 1950 to 2010. | 1948 | 2010 |
| Morrison Stadium | Soccer | NoDo | 6,000 seat soccer stadium for Creighton Bluejays soccer. | 2003 | |
| Omaha Civic Auditorium | Basketball, football, hockey, volleyball | Downtown | Multi-purpose arena. Demolished in 2014. | 1954 | 2014 |
| CHI Health Center | Basketball, hockey, rodeo, swimming, wrestling | NoDo | Large arena and convention center. Hosts Creighton men's basketball and Olympic Swimming Trials. | 2003 | |
| D. J. Sokol Arena | Basketball, volleyball | Creighton campus | 2,500 seat arena on the Creighton campus. Home of Bluejays women's basketball and volleyball. | 2009 | |
| Charles Schwab Field Omaha | Baseball | NoDo | Baseball stadium built for the College World Series. Also home to Creighton Baseball. | 2011 | |
| Werner Park | Baseball, soccer | Papillion | Built for the Omaha Storm Chasers. Also home to Union Omaha soccer. | 2011 | |
| Lee & Helene Sapp Fieldhouse | Basketball, volleyball | UNO north campus | 3,500 seat arena on the UNO campus. Used for practice and some games. | 1950 | |
| Liberty First Credit Union Arena | Basketball, football | Ralston | 4,000 seat arena. Home of the Omaha Lancers, Omaha Beef, and Omaha Roller Derby. | 2012 | |
| Baxter Arena | Basketball, curling, hockey, volleyball | Midtown | Arena owned by UNO. Home for Omaha Mavericks men's ice hockey and basketball. | 2014 |
Famous Athletes from Omaha
Omaha has been home to many important sports figures, both from the past and today. Here are some of them:
- Houston Alexander, UFC fighter
- Max Baer, Professional Boxer
- Bob Boozer, former NBA player and Olympic gold medalist
- Steve Borden, professional wrestler known as Sting
- Lance Cade, professional wrestler
- Terence Crawford, professional boxer
- Eric Crouch, Heisman Trophy winner for University of Nebraska
- Brian Deegan, FMX Rider
- Ted DiBiase, Professional Wrestler
- Bob Gibson, Hall of Fame pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals
- Ahman Green, professional football player
- Nile Kinnick, Heisman Trophy winner for the University of Iowa
- Jason Kreis, former professional soccer player and coach
- Scott Munter, professional baseball player
- Gregg Olson, professional baseball player
- Jed Ortmeyer, professional ice hockey player
- Andy Roddick, professional tennis player
- Johnny Rodgers, Heisman Trophy Winner and College Football Hall of Fame member
- Gale Sayers, professional football player, Pro Football Hall of Fame member
- Scott Sutton, Oral Roberts University men's basketball coach
