The NFL has made their decision. After narrowing the candidates for Superbowls L, and LI (50 and 51) down to three, we now know exactly who is set to host the big game in 2016 and 2017.
San Francisco will host Superbowl L, which is sure to get even more pomp and circumstance than a regular Superbowl, as it will be the 5oth anniversary of the event. The game will be held in the Bay Area’s new $1.2 billion dollar stadium project which is currently under construction and set to open in time for the 2014 season. It will be the 2nd ever Superbowl held in the Bay Area, following the 1985 game was held at Stanford Stadium.
Until very recently, Los Angeles was thought to be a front runner for Superbowl L, as the city had hosted the first Superbowl. However plans to build a new stadium fell through, and with no current NFL team in the city, that was put on the back burner. San Francisco beat out Miami to win the rights to host the event.
Superbowl LI will be held in Houston’s Reliant Stadium (pictured above). The Houston bid again beat out the Miami bid to win the rights. Prior to the process, it had been decided that the loser of the Superbowl L bid was to face off against Houston in an attempt to get Superbowl LI. This will be the third Superbowl held in the city of Houston, and the second to be held in Reliant Stadium (who last hosted in 2004).
It would appear that the Dolphins’ inability to secure the funding necessary to make improvements at Sun Life Stadium is what killed the South Florida bids. Miami was attempting to become the first city ever to host 11 Superbowls, breaking the tie for most ever with New Orleans at 10.
The next Superbowl, Super Bowl XLVIII, will be played on February 2nd, 2014 in Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Super Bowl XLIX will be played at University of Phoenix Stadium, in Glendale, Arizona, home of the Arizona Cardinals in February 2015. It was originally scheduled for Arrowhead Stadium, but plans fell through.
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