The yet-to-be-built stadium in Inglewood, Calif. -- slated to open in '19 -- is "in the running to host the Super Bowl" in '20 or '21 -- and the decision "will be made in May," according to Sam Farmer of the L.A. TIMES. With Houston and Minneapolis hosting the next two Super Bowls, the NFL's Super Bowl Advisory Committee has "decided to have the following three games voted on in succession in one day" during its spring meetings. In doing so, the committee will "make a departure from its 'guiding principle' that a new stadium must have two full seasons under its belt before becoming eligible to host a Super Bowl." That the NFL has "waived the two-year requirement for L.A. is significant." A city "may host only one" of the three games up for bid. Atlanta, South Florida and Tampa also are "finalists to host one, while New Orleans will be under consideration only for Super Bowl LIII" at the end of the '18 season because of "other commitments at the Superdome." Rams Exec VP/Football Operations & COO Kevin Demoff said that the Super Bowl bid process will "involve assembling an L.A. committee that in two months will be able to present a proposal at the league's spring meetings in Charlotte" (L.A. TIMES, 3/4).
BROAD APPROACH: In West Palm Beach, Hal Habib notes South Florida Super Bowl Bid Committee Chair Rodney Barreto predicted that L.A. "would land" the '21 game, but "remained optimistic South Florida will not get shut out." Barreto: "We feel very optimistic that we’re going to get a Super Bowl, so we’re not concerned with L.A. They can only get one. It’s not like they bid on two and get two." Barreto reiterated Thursday that his committee "intends to bid on every future Super Bowl, which explains the triple-pronged approach to the May meetings." He said, "We’re not going to be narrow-minded and say, ‘We only want ’20 and ’21.’ Well, heck, if there are three to bid on or four to bid on, we’re going to bid on all of them if they’ll let us. I’m a firm believer that you’ve got to be in it to win it." Habib notes South Florida last hosted the Super Bowl in '10. NFL owners "took Miami out of the rotation" after rain soaked the '07 game and because, in the league’s view, Sun Life Stadium "wasn’t state of the art." Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross "sought to alleviate those concerns in part with a canopy, which will be installed in time" for the '16 season (PALM BEACH POST, 3/4).
LASER FOCUSED: In Atlanta, Tim Tucker notes the '19 Super Bowl "long has been Atlanta’s preference, because that is the first one the new downtown stadium -- slated to open next year -- is eligible to seek under NFL guidelines that ordinarily require a venue to be open for two NFL regular seasons before hosting a Super Bowl." Atlanta Sports Council Exec Dir Dan Corso said, "We will pursue all three years, but our focus will remain on 2019" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 3/4).
