Pro sports in New Orleans received a major boost this week, including another potential Super Bowl.<\/p>\n
Summit meetings<\/a> between Saints-Pelicans owner Gayle Benson, Gov. Jeff Landry, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NBA commissioner Adam Silver greased the skids for a potential windfall for the city\u2019s sports scene.<\/p>\n Among the results:<\/p>\n The NFL invited New Orleans to bid<\/a> on Super Bowl 2031, an olive branch after the city missed the official deadline to submit its proposal last fall.<\/p>\n The endorsement of a potential major renovation of the Smoothie King Center that would include the transformation of the arena and Superdome area into a reimagined sports and entertainment complex.<\/p>\n A long-term commitment from Silver to New Orleans as an NBA city.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had a very positive and productive meeting, and I am thrilled that we will have the opportunity to bid on the 2031 Super Bowl,\u201d Benson said.<\/p>\n The invitation to bid on the 2031 Super Bowl came after a meeting Tuesday with Goodell at NFL offices in New York.<\/p>\n The Saints had planned to submit New Orleans’ bid for the 2031 game in September, when the league\u2019s Engagement & Major Events Advisory Committee met to consider proposals for future Super Bowls. But the team was\u00a0unable to do so because a lease extension with the state of Louisiana, which owns the Superdome, had not yet been finalized beyond 2030. As such, New Orleans wasn’t on the original short list of potential host cities.<\/p>\n The Saints and the state reached a deal on a long-term lease extension<\/a> for the Dome in November, clearing the way to be reconsidered for the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n \u201cWe appreciated the opportunity to meet with Gov. Landry and Mrs. Benson,\u201d NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. \u201cIt was a very productive meeting, and while our immediate focus is on the upcoming Super Bowls, we can confirm that New Orleans will be part of the consideration process for the Super Bowl to be played in 2031.\u201d<\/p>\n The next three Super Bowls \u2014 next month and the 2027 and 2028 games \u2014 are scheduled for San Francisco, Los Angeles and Atlanta, respectively. Las Vegas and Nashville, Tennessee, are considered the favorites to host the 2029 and 2030 games.<\/p>\n New Orleans officials have targeted the 2031 game because conflicts with Mardi Gras and convention schedules would likely\u00a0prevent the city from hosting Super Bowls between 2032 and 2037, leaving 2038 as the next possible target year if 2031 stays off the table.<\/p>\n Denver; Cleveland; Jacksonville, Florida; and Washington, D.C., are expected to have new stadiums constructed in the next several years, which could potentially increase the competition for New Orleans to host Super Bowl LXV in 2031.<\/p>\n Owners are expected to have a full vote on the 2031 game sometime later this year.<\/p>\n \u201cLouisiana has successfully hosted Super Bowls with our unparalleled hospitality,\u201d Landry said. \u201cThe opportunity for Mrs. Benson and I to showcase all that Louisiana has going economically was an invaluable experience for our state.\u00a0Given a chance, we look forward to rolling out the welcome mat once again.\u201d<\/p>\n