INDIANAPOLIS — Will Indy be getting a Super Bowl anytime soon?
“We’re not in active discussions for a Super Bowl specifically, at the moment,” said Indiana Sports Corp. President Ryan Vaughn to WIBC’s Terri Stacy.
But, he says that doesn’t mean we won’t get another one in the future. He says that when the timing is right, Indianapolis will probably be back in the running for a Super Bowl.
“We have a high degree of interest. I know the Colts are very supportive, and probably most importantly the NFL still considers 2012 to be among its best Super Bowls they’ve ever had.”
The NFL has a bidding process for choosing where the Super Bowl will be.
Vaughn says they used to have an open bidding process where cities would bid against each other for the right to host the event. That’s how Indy got the Super Bowl in 2012.
Now, it’s a little bit different.
“They’ve moved to a bit of new model now where they’re being very selective about the cities they’re inviting to bid.”
Vaughn sees this new model as a good thing. He says it’s very expensive to bid and takes a lot out of the community. Then, if the city isn’t successful it’s a hardship, but with the new model, the NFL and the cities are working more closely together behind the scenes to make sure the timing is right.
“We evaluate these kinds of bid opportunities for major events all the time, and so I’m very confident that should we be presented the opportunity there would be plenty of people in the community ready to work.”
He says that Lucas Oil is also in pretty good shape, and has won the best stadium in the country five out of the last seven years.
So, while the San Francisco 49ers get ready to face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in Miami for the 54th Super Bowl, Vaughn says that Indy is getting ready for March where we’ll have 45 basketball games in 24 days.
(Photo: Larry French/Getty Images)
