NFL: Minneapolis is among finalists for 2018 Super Bowl
The National Football League has announced that it has a short list of three candidates to host Super Bowl LII and Minnesota's new stadium is still among the candidates.
Indianapolis and New Orleans are also in the running, according to NFL Media. The Vikings also confirmed Minneapolis was on the list. The NFL made the decision at the fall owner's meeting this week in Washington, D.C.
New Orleans has been the site of the NFL's annual spectacle 10 times, most recently this past February. Indianapolis hosted the game in 2012.
Does that mean Minneapolis stands a better chance as a change of scenery?
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"Perhaps," said Vikings vice president Lester Bagley. "But it's also stiff competition." He added:
"Indianapolis did a great job by all accounts, and it's always a good event in New Orleans, so we've got to deliver. But we have what it takes with new venue that's going to be second to none in terms of fan experience. Our seats and our premium spaces will be closer to the action than any other NFL stadium. So we're going to have a great game-day experience. We think we can match New Orleans and Indy and go beyond."
Or it may come down to Minneapolis as having the newest stadium. An article on NFL.com says Minneapolis should be the favorite.
Minneapolis hasn't hosted a Super Bowl since 1992. No one has complained about this, mostly because Minneapolis in February isn't exactly a hotbed for global tourism. Still, the Vikings will have constructed a new stadium by then and the NFL is known to reward cities for such civic endeavors.
It could also be a very lucrative stop for Minnesota. Bagley said that the New Orleans host committee told the NFL that the game in February had a $300 million impact on the city and in Louisiana.
That brought plenty of comers for the 2018 game. There were six contenders that originally bid to host the game, to be played Feb. 4, 2018. They included Miami, New Orleans, Dallas, Indianapolis, Minneapolis and Tampa.
The Metrodome hosted the 1992 Super Bowl, but Minneapolis hasn't bid to bring the game back since then.
Staff from the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority also traveled to Atlanta in April to talk to NCAA officials about bringing the Final Four back to Minneapolis for the third time, possibly as early as 2017. The Metrodome hosted the men's basketball championships in 1992 and 2001.
The new stadium in Minneapolis is expected to break ground in mid-November and is scheduled to open for the Vikings 2016 football season. The 2018 Super Bowl is the next in line for the NFL to select. Here are the cities the league has picked for the next four championships:
2014: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
2015: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
2016: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.
2017: Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
The most recent Super Bowls have been played in these cities:
2013: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, La.
2012: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Ind.
2011: Cowboys Stadium, Dallas, Tex.
2010: Miami Gardens, Miami. Fla.
2009: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
You can see the entire history of the Super Bowl here.