As the NFL offseason cranks into high gear in the next few weeks and teams begin to prepare themselves for a charge at Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans, a select few franchises will be looking ahead to Super Bowl L.
If form holds, the site of the 50th anniversay of the sport's biggest game will be awarded at the NFL owners meetings in May. After New Orleans in 2013, New York/New Jersey and Arizona are in line to host the game in 2014 and 2015.
This week,* SportsBusiness Journal *is handicapping the odds of a number of locations to win the right to host Super Bowl L. Following Jerry Jones' gung-ho response when asked recently if Cowboys Stadium could be in the mix, the publication lists North Texas among the front-runners, along with Miami, Tampa New Orleans and the new 49ers stadium being built in Santa Clara, Calif. and expected to be ready by the 2014 season.
Miami is in need of a stadium renovation. New Orleans will have hosted the game only three years prior. Tampa might not offer enough pizzazz for such a big anniversary. There had been rumors that the NFL would like to hold the game in Los Angeles, site of Super Bowl I, but at this point the league doesn't look particularly close to having a team in L.A. in time.
While *SBJ *makes San Francisco the favorite, followed by New Orleans, Dallas-Forth Worth is right there:
*"Pros: Huge Cowboys Stadium offers great financial reward to the NFL, it's a major market, and hey, the weather can't be as bad as it when hosting last year- can it?
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*Cons: The NFL is still feeling the effects of the 2011 fiasco, with a federal lawsuit pending against the team and league for seating problems. The region also would have to prove it can be better prepared for weather emergencies.
Odds:* Average (It would be worse, but it may be hard for owners to ignore 100,000 seats priced around $1,000.)"
