Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is starting a push for the city to host another Super Bowl in the coming years.
“We will most likely make another bid 4 the SupBowl in Indy at latter part of the decade..it was one of the best host/city performances ever,” Irsay said via Twitter Tuesday.
Irsay noted, however, he feels hotel capacity downtown is an issue for a second bidding opportunity.
Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association spokesman Chris Gahl disagrees, noting there are 33,000 hotel rooms in the city, and the NFL requirement for a Super Bowl is just 18,000.
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“When you look at quantity of hotel rooms in Indianapolis, we have ample quantity to host something like the Super Bowl,” Gahl said.
Even though only 7,100 of the 33,000 city-wide rooms are downtown, there is no need to add more just for another Super Bowl according to Gahl.
“In other cities you’re driving 30 to 40 minutes to the venue from your hotel. We are arguable still one of the most compact cities when you look at those outer rings of hotels in the MSA,” said Gahl.
The next opening for a Super Bowl is 2016. New Orleans will host the big game in 2013; followed by MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey in 2014; and Glendale, Arizona in 2015.
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