Minneapolis Gearing Up To Fight For The Super Bowl
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - The New York Super Bowl was largely a success, and there's already talk of more cold-weather cities for future Super Bowls.
Michele Kelm-Helgen is part of Minnesota's official Super Bowl bid committee, which was announced last week.
She got an inside look at what a city needs to win the big game in 2018.
"I think our venue is going to be able to compete with anyone," Kelm-Helgen said. "We just have to convince them that the cold's not going to be a problem, then try to come up with some great events that are going to ... excite people and make them want to come to the city."
Minnesota's pitching Super Bowl LII at the new Vikings stadium, but the actual game is only part of the official bid.
The Super Bowl is a week-long event with numerous activities, like the giant toboggan slide in Times Square.
The NFL requires at least 19,000 hotel rooms, and a complex transit network to move 100,000 people quickly.
The one serious glitch in New York was mass transit to and from the game, which bottlenecked at subway stations and caused serious delays.
It's a flaw Minnesota won't have with the smaller downtown closer to the stadium.
"To have people walk from the downtown hotels through a skyway connection to the [new stadium] is going to be very important," Kelm-Helgen said.
The downside to Minnesota's Super Bowl prospects may continue to be the cold, and the next three Super Bowls are in warm-weather states.
But the success of New York's Super Bowl could push the NFL to go north.
The NFL will make a decision by May. Minnesota will be competing against cities like Indianapolis and New Orleans, which have had numerous Super Bowls.
