Super Bowl headed to Arizona, New Orleans
The Super Bowl is headed back to New Orleans for the 11th time and will make its fourth stop in Arizona.
NFL owners voted unanimously on both sites Wednesday at the league’s annual spring meeting in Atlanta, which will host the 2019 Super Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The 2023 title game will be played at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, while New Orleans’ Mercedes-Benz Superdome will host in 2024.
Saints owner Gayle Benson, whose husband Tom Benson passed away in March, appreciated that the vote took only 60 seconds to complete. She attributed the quick tally to New Orleans’ unique culture.
“It’s different from any other city that we have around,” she said. “We just have so many things to offer — the food, the culture, the hotels. We’ve got it all. It should be (there) every year.”
This will be eighth time the game is held at the 43-year-old Superdome, more than any other stadium. Its most recent Super Bowl was in 2013, which is remembered for the power going out during the second half , resulting in a 34-minute delay.
The retractable roof stadium in suburban Phoenix previously held the Super Bowl in 2008 and 2015 .
“We’re thrilled by the unanimous vote and we look forward to making this the most fan-friendly Super Bowl in the history of Super Bowls and bigger and better than any Super Bowl,” Cardinals president Michael Bidwill said.
Both teams have major stadium renovations planned. Benson said the Mercedes-Benz Superdome will soon begin an overhaul. Bidwill work has already begun on University of Phoenix Stadium.
“Yes, we’ve already completed a number of renovations, but $100 million worth of renovations will be done by the Super Bowl by 2023,” Bidwill told The Associated Press.