Shaded Seats at Charles Schwab Field

Charles Schwab Field is a professional caliber ballpark in Omaha. It is best known for hosting the NCAA College World Series each June. During the regular college season it’s also the home field for the Creighton Bluejays and is used for other special events in Omaha. Even though it’s not a city with a reputation for a hot climate, temperatures in Omaha in the summer can easily reach into the mid and upper 80s. Baseball fans can use this guide along with the stadium’s seating chart to find the best shaded seats at Charles Schwab Field.

Where are the shaded seats at Charles Schwab Field?

Generally, the seats in the shade at Charles Schwab Field are located:

• 1st Base Line: Gradually becomes shaded during the afternoon
• Behind Home Plate: Shaded for late afternoon and evening games
• Under Cover: Last eight rows of field level seats are covered and shaded

To accommodate all the games in the World Series, the NCAA frequently schedules doubleheaders during the tournament. These usually start at 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Occasionally, to fit the tournament schedule, a triple header is planned with the first pitch at 10:00 a.m.! Morning baseball games are rare, and knowing the start time is crucial when choosing seats because it affects the location of the sun and shade.

Charles Schwab Field Orientation to the Sun

Charles Schwab Field is oriented to the southeast. Each morning, the sun rises behind the left field wall, curves around the right field foul pole by mid-afternoon, and sets behind home plate. This configuration designates the 1st base side of the stadium as the “shade side” and the 3rd base side as the “sunny side.” However, in the rare case of attending a morning game, this doesn’t apply, as nearly every seat will be sunlit.

The graphic below shows the approximate location of the sun throughout the day on June 1st.

Click or tap to see a seating chart for the next event at Charles Schwab Field

Seats in the Shade at Morning Charles Schwab Field Games

If your favorite team is unlucky enough to be scheduled for a morning game, the only hope for relief is a cloudy day. Solar noon in Omaha, the time when the sun is at its highest point in the sky, occurs around 12:30 p.m. in June. A game starting at 10:00 a.m. will have the sun shining over the center field wall, with its rays hitting nearly every seat in the stadium during the early innings before reaching its peak directly overhead in the later innings. Even seats under cover are not necessarily safe because the angle of the morning sun will be pointed directly at most sections. In outfield reserve sections 125-136, the sun won’t be shaded, but at least it will be at your back during the game.

Seats in the Shade at Afternoon Charles Schwab Field Games

Games scheduled for 1:00 p.m. or 2:00 p.m. are a bit easier to manage if you’re looking for shade, though shade is still relatively sparse, especially during the early innings. The best chance of finding a seat in the shade for the entire game is to focus on the 1st baseline and seek out covered areas. Seats in the last 8 to 10 rows of lower-level sections 102-112 are shaded, as they are under direct cover. The last few rows of sections 113-122 are also under cover, but the 1st base line is preferable to the 3rd base line, as more rows on the 1st base side will become shaded over the course of the game as the position of the sun shifts.

Charles Schwab Field does have a small roof that curves around home plate and covers the club level seats in sections 204-220. However, it doesn’t extend far enough out to provide meaningful shade early in the afternoon, particularly for club level sections on the 3rd base line. Outfield reserved sections 125-136 are also completely exposed to the sun during afternoon games.

By mid-afternoon the 1st base side of the stadium starts to become shaded. Seats on the 3rd base side and in the outfield are sunny for the longest.
Credit: TD Ameritrade Park Omaha by Collinulness (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Seats in the Shade at Evening Charles Schwab Field Games

When games are scheduled for 6:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m., it’s easy to find shade as long as you know where to look. By this hour, the sun is squarely behind the 1st base side of the stadium, so most sections on that side and behind home plate are shaded, including sections 102-114 and 201-214.

Outfield reserved sections stay sunny for the longest. Seats on the 3rd base line, including those in the 100-, 200-, and 300-level sections, will remain in the sun until sunset. However, the last few rows on the 100-level will be shaded as they are under cover.

Ready to buy shaded seats at Charles Schwab Field?

Use the individual game links or click or tap here to see the upcoming game list for Charles Schwab Field.