The San Francisco 49ers are excitedly preparing to break ground on their brand new state-of-the-art stadium next week, which comes with numerous perks and benefits. Not only will it provide 49ers fans with a beautiful new venue to watch their home games, but it also gives the Bay Area yet another attractive area for big events to be held.
Few events in sports are bigger than the Super Bowl. The 49ers know this, and with their new stadium set to be completed by the start of the 2014 season, they are already preparing a bid to host Super Bowl L (50). Matt Barrows at The Sacramento Bee has the latest report:
According to the NFL, the process will begin this summer when interested cities apply to the Super Bowl Advisory Committee for an invitation to bid. The committee then decides on finalists at the owners meeting in October. A vote is expected to take place in May.
There is good reason to believe Santa Clara will get the bid. The NFL likes to place Super Bowls in new venues (see: Arlington, Texas in 2011) and the 49ers will have the shiniest and newest digs when Super Bowl L rolls around. There also would be a nice bit of symmetry. The first Super Bowl was played in California - in Los Angeles in 1967 - and one hasn't been held in the Golden State since the Raiders and Buccaneers squared off in San Diego in 2003.
Not only is the Super Bowl a much-watch event for sports fans everywhere, but it also comes with a ton of financial benefit for the host city. Given that the new stadium is supposed to hold as many as 75,000 seats, one can imagine how much money that would bring the surrounding hotels, restaurants, malls and more.
For more on the 49ers and their quest to host Super Bowl L, check out Niners Nation.