"Clean Zone" Would Bar Beer from Area Around NCAA College World Series Stadium

Having a beer in the stands at a baseball game is pretty much an All-American activity, but not during the NCAA College World Series in Omaha, Neb. Rosenblatt Stadium is dry during the annual championship event, as are an increasing number of college stadiums. Now the NCAA is going one step further and calling on city officials in Omaha to establish a so-called "clean zone" around the stadium where temporary beer garden licenses would not be allowed.

NCAA officials and some neighbors that live near the stadium say that the sale of beer, along with vendors hawking everything from food to unlicensed merchandising, has gotten out of control. The new zone would ban alcohol sales at temporary locations and restrict advertising to only companies sponsoring the tournament.

Omaha will play host to the College World Series through at least 2010. NCAA officials say they want the event to have a family atmosphere. It will likely make the clean zone concept part of future host city contracts.

In 2006, Omaha granted seven temporary licenses for beer gardens near the stadium.