NCAA Alters College World Series Schedule

Tuesday, August 14th 2007, 10:08 am

By: News On 6

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) _ The College World Series will start on a Saturday in 2008, breaking its tradition of opening on a Friday, the NCAA Division I baseball committee announced Tuesday.

The CWS finals, which pits the two bracket winners in a best-of-three series, will open on a Monday instead of a Saturday.

The CWS will begin June 14, with the championship round starting June 23.

The Saturday start will give participating teams an extra day to prepare and provide flexibility if weather interferes with regionals and super-regionals, said Dennis Poppe, NCAA managing director of baseball.

``Each year, the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee continues to fine-tune the Series format in order to accommodate the changing needs of those involved,'' Poppe said. ``In arriving at this new schedule, the committee balanced the interests of the coaches and student-athletes, ESPN and the sponsoring organization.''

Team autograph sessions, Fan Fest activities and opening ceremonies will be Friday, June 13.

Local organizers knew a schedule change was possible, said CWS Inc. President Jack Diesing.

``As the sponsoring organization, we're committed to making this new schedule work for both the fans and the student-athletes,'' Diesing said. ``We have adapted to schedule changes in the past and continue to set attendance records each year.''

CWS Inc. also announced a price increase of $1 per ticket. Prices will be $10 for general admission, $19 for reserved and $24 for box seats. CWS finals tickets are $26 for reserved and $32 for box seats. Season-ticket prices are $220 for reserved and $281 for box seats.

Starting times will be 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on days when two games are played and 6 p.m. on days when a single game is played.