An "ambitious" Sun Life Stadium renovation "wasn’t enough to get South Florida back in business" as a college football championship host, according to Craig Davis of the South Florida SUN-SENTINEL. CFP Exec Dir Bill Hancock said of South Florida only bidding for the '18 game: "They only bid for one year, which limited the committee’s flexibility. In that year they were up against a brand-new stadium in Atlanta and a city that never hosted a college football champion before. ... Even with that those two cities were very close and it was an extremely difficult decision for our group.” Davis notes South Florida’s "ambition to host the Super Bowl" in '20 was the "reason no bid was submitted for that year." It also "couldn’t bid" for '19 because a CFP semifinal will be played at Sun Life Stadium. This is the "second time South Florida has failed to land the CFP national title game, having lost out to Tampa" for '17. The "other opportunities for South Florida to seek the national championship" are '21, '23, '24 and '26. Hancock: "We love South Florida. They’ve obviously hosted us before. They’ve been great hosts. The Orange Bowl Committee and staff are top notch. And they're going to host again for us in the future. I'm sure" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 11/5). In Miami, Susan Miller Degnan notes Tampa’s proximity likely "hurt the chances of South Florida getting the bid" (MIAMI HERALD, 11/5).
WILL IT EVER COME BACK? In Miami, Greg Cote writes under the header, "Miami's Latest Big-Game Snub Proves Stadium Face-Life Can't Cover Other Warts." Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross is pouring $400M into "privately-funded upgrades to his stadium, mostly out of his own deep pockets, but the return on investment has been slow in coming." The reason why is "no great mystery." Cote: "You can put fresh paint and new tires on that automobile, tune the engine, tint the windows, upgrade the upholstery and call it 'pre-owned,' but it’s still a used car. Nothing can make it new." Sun Life Stadium "still suffers, of course, from its location in Miami Gardens, not quite near anything a visiting fan might want to visit while here" (MIAMI HERALD, 11/5).
AUTO ZONE: In Detroit, Bill Shea noted the presence of the North American Int'l Auto Show "killed Detroit’s chances" for the '19 game at Ford Field. Hancock said that Detroit’s convention center -- Cobo Center -- "would be unavailable during the championship game week because of the auto show, and that’s why Detroit didn’t get the game." Detroit Sports Commission Exec Dir Dave Beachnau said that the auto show and title game dates "were a hurdle they couldn't overcome." Beachnau: “I don’t see any change in the future with dates of either event." Shea noted the plan now is to "meet with the game's organizers to discuss the bid and what could be done to improve Detroit's chances" (CRAINSDETROIT.com, 11/4).
BUSY SCHEDULES: Hancock said that Minneapolis, which is hosting Super Bowl LII in '18 and the Final Four in '19, could have seen "community fatigue" if it had landed the '20 game, meaning "less enthusiasm from fans and corporate sponsors" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/5). Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority Chair Michele Kelm-Helgen said, "In a way we are a victim of our own success. But we are going to obviously show college football what a good job we do in the Super Bowl and Final Four. ... We’re very hopeful for 2021.” Meet Minneapolis President & CEO Melvin Tennant called the city's bid "extremely solid." But he added that a "future version only would improve as the city’s landscape changes with the development of Nicollet Mall and new hotels." Kelm-Helgen added that the opening of U.S. Bank Stadium next year "could be the final push." She said Hancock toured the venue and was "blown away" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 11/5). Meanwhile, Hancock said that Houston missed out on hosting the game in '18, '19 and '20 "in part because it already has" the '16 Final Four and Super Bowl LI in '17. In Houston, David Barron noted CFP committee members “met the day after Houstonians voted to repeal the city’s anti-discrimination ordinance.” But Hancock said “political considerations did not enter into his discussion in any way” (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 11/5).
TOO COLD? In Cleveland, Doug Lesmerises writes of no cold-weather cities getting a CFP title game, "It snows in the north and people don't usually want to play or watch football in the snow if they can do it where it is not snowing." Big Ten teams have "always played in bowl games in warmer climates." Hancock "encouraged more bids from northern cities" when the next round of bidding comes up in two or three years (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 11/5).In Chicago, Teddy Greenstein writes, "Should Big Ten fans be in a huff over this? Nah" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/5).
BEAUTY BEFORE AGE: In San Antonio, W. Scott Bailey noted the city came up "empty in its bid" to host the '19 and '20 games, and the decision "likely means some Alamodome improvements that were committed had San Antonio secured the championship will now be put on hold" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 11/4). Also in San Antonio, Tim Griffin writes an "aging 23-year-old Alamodome simply didn't match up with newer buildings." The stadium question "was the biggest reason why San Antonio was left out." Hancock said the Alamodome would "meet the 'base needs' of the CFP title game but wouldn’t have the extras like all of the newer stadiums." Hancock: “It just doesn’t measure up to the other stadiums that happened to be available in this bidding process." But Valero Alamo Bowl CEO Derrick Fox "was undeterred even after hearing Hancock’s sobering comments." Fox: "If it goes back to a facility issue, that’s good to know and we want to know that so we can determine what our game plan is. That’s a community issue when you are talking about a facility.” Griffin notes this marks the "third time San Antonio has failed to land" the CFP title game (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 11/5).
NOT THERE YET: In Charlotte, Erik Spanberg noted the city missed out on '19 and '20, but it "is likely to bid again." Charlotte Sports Foundation Exec Dir Will Webb "pointed to the likelihood of the city adding more hotel rooms in and near uptown by the time another site selection occurs." The Panthers' Bank of America Stadium is "in the middle of a five-year renovation" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 11/4).
