USA TODAY International Edition
STADIUM SPENDERS AWARDED SUPER BOWLS
Meeting for only a day, NFL owners Tuesday addressed both the foreseeable future of the Super Bowl and tweaks to instant replay.
The next three available Super Bowl sites were chosen, with Atlanta ( Super Bowl LIII in 2019), South Florida ( Super Bowl LIV) and the Los Angeles area ( Super Bowl LV) all being awarded the event. The Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Rams have new stadiums planned; the Miami Dolphins have $ 450 million in renovations to come.
“From the owners’ standpoint, they want to show that it’s worthwhile,” Rams owner Stan Kroenke said of the owners’ decision to reward the cities with significant stadium spending. “These are large investments. They are telling the communities and the owners who stick their neck out that it’s worthwhile.”
The 2021 Super Bowl set for Inglewood, Calif., marks the first time the Los Angeles area will host the event since 1993. Houston and Minneapolis are scheduled to host in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
Earlier in the day, owners also voted to expand the instant re- play system to cover game administration and permit officials to consult with NFL headquarters for application of playing rules.
The Baltimore Ravens previously proposed a measure that sought to expand the type of plays that could be reviewed, but they later withdrew it.
Also, Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis said the team had begun conducting market research studies to gather information about a potential move to Las Vegas and initial reports had come back positive about the feasibility of such a move. Unable to get a satisfactory stadium deal in Oakland, Davis wants to move the Raiders to the gambling city.
“I have given my commitment to Las Vegas,” Davis said. “And if they can get done what they’re talking about doing, then we will go to Las Vegas.”