Staff report
TheStatehouseFile.com
Minneapolis has won the competition to host the 2018 Super Bowl on Tuesday, knocking out Indianapolis and New Orleans in a private vote by National Football League team owners.
The city – home of the Minnesota Vikings – is planning to open a new $1 billion stadium in two years and NFL owners have often rewarded communities that have invested in new arenas. That happened in 2012 when Indianapolis hosted the game, shortly after opening Lucas Oil Stadium.
It will be the first Super Bowl in Minneapolis since 1992.
“Indiana presented a compelling bid in Atlanta, and I commend the Super Bowl Bid Committee and all those who spent countless hours putting together a bid packet that told Indiana’s story so well,†Gov. Mike Pence said in a statement about the NFL owners’ decision.
“Although the Super Bowl will not be coming to Indianapolis in 2018, we look forward to another opportunity to showcase our Hoosier hospitality and all that Indiana has to offer,†he said.
Indiana’s capitol city won accolades for the 2012 event, which included a downtown Super Bowl village, zip lines and other activities.
Last August, Indianapolis and a handful of other cities let the NFL know that they were interested in hosting the 2018 game. The owners met in October and invited Indianapolis, Minneapolis and New Orleans to make formal bid presentations.
