NFL Senior VP/Events Peter O'Reilly said that NRG Stadium "needs upgrades, including Wi-Fi installation and improvements to suites and club seats" before it hosts Super Bowl LI in '17, according to John McClain of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. O'Reilly on Thursday said that the improvements "should be paid for by Harris County." Wi-Fi "was guaranteed in Houston's Super Bowl bid that was voted on by NFL owners" in '13. Sources said that the cost of the upgrades "could be more than" $50M, including $5M for Wi-Fi. Harris County Sports & Convention Corp. Chair Edgar Colon "didn't agree the county is responsible for every improvement." Colon: "Some of those (expenses) may be the responsibility of the county, and some may not be. We're analyzing all that and going through the contracts and the documents and having conversations with our major tenants to resolve all of these contractual obligations" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 2/27). Meanwhile, McClain reported the Astrodome "won’t be an issue for Super Bowl LI" as far as the NFL "is concerned." Although what to do with the Astrodome "is a hot-button issue with the Texans, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, it’s not a problem for the NFL staging its biggest event." The Texans and Rodeo "want the Astrodome demolished and replaced by a park and parking spaces," while the county "wants to keep the Dome in some fashion." O'Reilly: "For us, it’s not something that’s currently part of our plans for Super Bowl-related events" (CHRON.com, 2/26).
