NFL's Demands For Super Bowl Host City Revealed In Report
BOSTON (CBS) -- Patriots owner Robert Kraft has expressed an interest in the Patriots hosting a Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. The response from New Englanders to that debate has been decidedly mixed. However, a new report revealing the NFL's demands for a host city may work to sway many more folks into the "no thanks" category when it comes to hosting a Super Bowl in Massachusetts.
CBS Minnesota reported that the NFL had a very long and very secret list of requirements for the city of Minneapolis prior to rewarding the city with Super Bowl LII in 2018.
Mike Kaszuba and Rochelle Olson reported: "Free police escorts for team owners, and 35,000 free parking spaces. Presidential suites at no cost in high-end hotels. Free billboards across the Twin Cities. Guarantees to receive all revenue from the game's ticket sales — even a requirement for NFL-preferred ATMs at the stadium."
The report details a list which the Minneapolis host committee had to accept before winning the bid. The list includes:
--Local police forces creating anti-counterfeit enforcement teams, "focused on tickets and merchandise." Service must be provided at no cost to the NFL.
--Government licensing fees being waived for up to 450 courtesy cars and buses.
--A no-cost "familiarization trip" for 180 unspecified people to travel to St. Paul/Minneapolis to "inspect the region."
--At least 20 free billboards in the city.
--The NFL requires 300 "top quality buses, 65 limousines (none of which can be more than five years old), five premier buses per participating team, and 250 school buses, all provided by the host committee at no cost to the NFL.
--The reservation of three "top quality" golf courses for the NFL Foundation Golf Classic. Access to the course, as well as playing fees, must be waived.
--Free access to two "top quality bowling venues" for the NFL Foundation Super Bowl Celebrity Bowling Classic.
--Installation of portable cell phone towers at team hotels if the signal strength is deemed too weak by the NFL.
--Free advertising on radio stations and newspapers. That includes at least 20 pages of color advertising in newspapers and "four weeks of free promotions on at least six local radio stations, including at least 250 live or prerecorded ads."
--Adding NFL-preferred ATMs inside the stadium, and removing existing ATMs which "conflict with NFL preferred payment services."
--Hotels where the teams stay must "be obligated to televise" the NFL Network for one year prior to the game.
--Free curbside parking at an "NFL House," which is a "high-end, exclusive drop-in hospitality facility for our most valued and influential guests to meet, unwind, network and conduct business."
--Tax exemption on all of the previous requirements. "Tickets to the Game, NFL Experience, NFL House, NFL Honors, NFL On Location (including all travel, entertainment, hospitatlity and gift package components) and other NFL Official Events, as well as parking to such events, must be exempt from any state, country or local sales taxes, admissions or amusement taxes, or other tax obligations, and exempt from any facility surcharges, such as, but not limited to, replacement fees. ... If the relevant governmental taxing authority does not grante the above tax exemptions on tickets, the Host Committee will be obligated to reimbuse the NFL for any such taxes or surchages levied on tickets for the Super Bowl Game and all Super Bowl-related events."
The host committee told the Star Tribune that it did not agree to all requests, but the specifics of the agreement remain confidential. The committee also said that it has $30 million in private pledges to help offset some of the costs of such requests.
When Kraft spoke with Felger and Massarotti during Super Bowl week in February, the Pats owner said that discussion about hosting a Super Bowl in Foxboro would at the very least promote the building up of infrastructure in the area.
"Even if things don't happen, sometimes it's good to go through the process," Kraft said.
The report out of Minnesota provided a deeper glimpse into just what the cost would be to host the NFL's biggest game.
Listen below to hear Toucher & Rich discuss the report:
NFL's Requests For Super Bowl Host City
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