Minnesota Super Bowl bid seeks big game in 2018

Minnesota Super Bowl 2018?

The Minnesota Super Bowl bid page features this image of the future Vikings stadium in downtown Minneapolis. The city will seek the 2018 Super Bowl.

This morning Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton announced his state’s bid to lure the 2018 Super Bowl to Minneapolis, after the inaugural season of the Vikings new yet-to-be-unnamed stadium. You can read all about the Minnesota Super Bowl bid at the bottom of this post. MPR’s Tim Nelson also has a story.

I’m not the first to point out that this news comes on the same day that most public schools in Minnesota were closed due to extremely cold weather. And it’s looking like more of the same tomorrow. This is Super Bowl week. And while the game might draw some ancillary economic benefits, its hard to imagine the NFL being excited about dragging players, media and fans from all over the country to see Minneapolis during its least appealing season. I mean, Minnesotans might get by on cross country skiing and tense intra-household drama, but will people from places with good football teams want to do that on Super Bowl weekend?

Of course, we all know how exciting it would be if the Minnesota Vikings became good by the time 2018 arrives, and could then play a “home” Super Bowl game. I mean, who could lose a home Super Bowl game? So we’ll see how this Minnesota Super Bowl business plays out, but color me skeptical.

 

Minnesota Launches Bid for 2018 Super Bowl

Governor Dayton names Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Richard Davis and Doug Baker co-chairs of the effort

ST. PAUL, MN – Governor Mark Dayton announced today that an organized campaign is underway to pursue Super Bowl LII, happening February 4, 2018. Governor Dayton announced the following three Minneapolis-St. Paul business leaders to co-chair the effort:

· Doug Baker, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ecolab
· Marilyn Carlson Nelson, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Carlson
· Richard Davis, Chairman/President/Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Bancorp

“The Super Bowl is the most watched annual event in the world. In addition to game attendees, it brings over 100,000 people to the host community for a weeklong celebration,” said Gov. Dayton. “Hosting the Super Bowl would bring enormous economic benefits to many Minnesota businesses, as well as provide a terrific opportunity to again showcase Minnesota to the world.”

Baker, Carlson Nelson, and Davis, all known for their leadership and success in the business world and their philanthropic community involvement, will lead a Super Bowl bid committee comprised of business, labor and community leaders from Minnesota, as well as representatives from the Minnesota Vikings and the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben and Meet Minneapolis President and CEO Melvin Tennant.

The establishment of the committee follows the National Football League’s (NFL) October announcement that Minnesota is one of three finalists (Indianapolis, New Orleans) to host the marquee sporting event in 2018. The group will be charged with developing a full proposal to bring the game to the new Vikings stadium scheduled to open in Minneapolis in 2016. The final selection for the location of the February 4, 2018, game will be announced in May 2014 following the NFL Owners Meetings in Atlanta.

An independent study on the Indianapolis 2012 Super Bowl stated the economic impact to the city was $324 million dollars. With an international audience of more than 100 million people, the game will cast a global spotlight on the Minneapolis-St. Paul region.

If Minnesota is selected as host, it will be only the second time in NFL history and the first time since 1992 when Super Bowl XXVI was held at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

“I am thrilled about the opportunity to bring the Super Bowl back to Minnesota,” said Doug Baker, CEO of Ecolab. “Greater MSP has so much to offer and hosting the 2018 Super Bowl will shine another spotlight on our region and help us share our great story with the world.”

“Minneapolis-St. Paul has a robust business community and is home to 19 fortune 500 companies,” said Richard Davis, CEO of U.S. Bancorp. “While the global spotlight is already on our region for all that we have to offer, the Super Bowl would highlight our ability to showcase our community and to welcome thousands of visitors to the state.”

For more information about the state’s effort to bring the Super Bowl to Minnesota in 2018, visit http://www.minneapolis.org/mnsuperbowl.

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