The Super Bowl is one of the most exciting sporting events in the United States, and as New Orleans hosts the big game for a record-tying 11th time, many are wondering how the host cities are selected.
The cities would be chosen earlier via bidding before the NFL started contacting the cities asking for a proposal. Let’s examine the process in detail.
How Is the Super Bowl Host City Determined?
Before 2018, the NFL invited cities to make bids for hosting the Super Bowl. A few were chosen to present a proposal, which was then reviewed by the 32 NFL teams and finalized accordingly.
Starting with Super Bowl 57, the NFL started shortlisting a few venues beforehand and then asking them to send a proposal. The owners would then vote to either accept or reject the venue.
“Now, [the NFL] no longer [does] the bidding model,” President of the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee Michael Zimmer told CNN. “Now what they’re doing is going to a model where they will ask you if you would like to host the game, and if you accept, then you negotiate the terms.
“It takes a little over a year to put together a bid. It is about a 600-page document. What we do is we go to the (NFL) owners meeting, we pitch to the owners, and then the 32 owners vote on the cities they want to host the games.”
According to NFL’s vice president of events strategy Matt Shapiro, the process of selecting the host city begins several years before, and key factors such as weather, stadium quality, and the mix of hotels and nearby venues are taken into consideration.
“Super Bowl is not just Super Bowl Sunday,” Shapiro told Axios. “There’s a tremendous amount of events throughout the week.”
Super Bowl 59 will be in New Orleans at the Caesars Superdome on Feb. 9, 2025, marking the 11th time the Big Easy has hosted the big game. This milestone ties New Orleans with Miami for the most Super Bowl games held in a single city, cementing its status as a premier football destination.
New Orleans is no stranger to football and the spotlight that comes with it. Its vibrant culture, rich history, and unmatched energy make it the perfect host city for the Super Bowl. This will be the eighth Super Bowl held at the Caesars Superdome, thus making the venue synonymous with thrilling football moments.
Super Bowl 60 will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 8, 2026, and Super Bowl 61 will be held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Feb. 14, 2027.