The NFL's appetite for more global expansion "has been whetted," according to Barry Wilner of the AP. NFL Exec VP of Int'l Mark Waller said, "As for where we go next? We started the work that really looks at Germany, Mexico potentially Brazil. Those are probably the three markets where we are most likely to play an international series game next, outside of the U.K." Mexico's fan base is large -- Waller estimates it to
be "bigger than anywhere outside of the United States." There are
sponsors with high interest in pro football. The league's architectural
consultant, Populous, has looked at several venues, including Azteca
Stadium and Estadio Olímpico in Mexico City. Monterrey and Guadalajara
"also could be in the picture to host a game." The only regular-season contest played in Mexico was in '05 at Azteca, which drew a crowd of more than 103,000. In the last decade, though, the Mexican
facilities have not "kept up with the technological advances the NFL
requires." Waller: "We're at the point today of waiting for a report back from Populous,
which will highlight what we think needs to get done in either Azteca or
the Olympic stadium. They will definitely need work to
be done; our thinking is particularly for an ongoing series of games
being played. We can make most stadiums work as a one-off, but if we
want to play consistently there is probably work to do be done on either
of those stadiums" (AP, 6/2).
