Empty arenas, restaurants, convention centers, parking lots and ballparks: Omaha’s last six months were different when it came to sports.
Losing four big-name athletic events since March because of the pandemic, the city’s economy and culture took a hit.
In that time, Omaha lost the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, College World Series, U.S. Olympic Swim Trials and the NCAA Volleyball Final Four, quickly reversing anticipation for a profitable year to expecting a financially difficult one.
Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority, the managing entity over CHI Health Center and TD Ameritrade Park lost billions of dollars, according to Kristyna Engdahl, MECA’s director of communications.