NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – The chances of New Orleans landing the 2031 Super Bowl took a hit this week, as both the city and the state missed a critical NFL deadline to submit their official bid.<\/p>\n
Officials had a one-week window to finalize and submit a proposal to host the game, but the clock ran out without the paperwork being filed. At the center of the delay is the still-unfinished lease agreement between the state of Louisiana and the New Orleans Saints for the Caesars Superdome.<\/p>\n
The current lease expires in 2030. The proposed extension would keep the Saints in the Dome through 2055. Until that agreement is finalized, the NFL is unlikely to seriously consider New Orleans for another Super Bowl.<\/p>\n
Sports analyst and NOLA.com contributor Jeff Duncan said the delay isn\u2019t cause for panic\u2014yet.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, look, there\u2019s two reasons for that,\u201d Duncan said. \u201cMainly, this is a very complicated deal. These deals have multi-layers to them, and they\u2019re really talking about hundreds of millions of dollars in the deal. So everyone\u2019s just doing their due diligence, making sure every T is crossed, every I is dotted.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that the nature of the parties involved has also slowed negotiations.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then the other factor here is you\u2019ve got two sides, one that really don\u2019t like to lose,\u201d Duncan said. \u201cThe NFL and the New Orleans Saints very rarely lose in negotiation. And Jeff Landry, as governor, as we\u2019ve seen so far in his term, doesn\u2019t like to lose very often. So you\u2019ve got two sides kind of dug in, trying to get the best deal for each other. So everyone comes away with a win-win. That\u2019s why this deal\u2019s taken so long and why it\u2019s become so complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the missed deadline, Duncan believes New Orleans still has a strong shot at hosting the big game in the future, especially with Saints owner Gayle Benson reportedly playing a key role in negotiations.<\/p>\n
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