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Ranking The Top 10 Venues To Host A Super Bowl
By John Wozniak
January 21, 2014 11:08 pm
The Rose Bowl
The Super Bowl is one of the most iconic and watched events in the sporting calendar. Global TV viewing figures almost blow any other sporting event out of the water. In this article I will rank the top ten venues that have hosted the Super Bowl.
You, as the reader, will have your own favourite venues. The ranking system I have used takes into consideration the pull factor for the city/area, climate and capacity of the stadium.
As a reminder, Miami has hosted the Super Bowl on 10 occasions (two venues) Louisiana has hosted the Super Bowl on seven occasions.
Starting in reverse order, sit back and relax as I take you through my top ten Super Bowl venues.
10. Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis 2012
Capacity 67,000
Annual average temperature in February; 28 degrees Fahrenheit.
The state of the art stadium made its Super Bowl debut in 2012. Capacity can be expanded to 70,000. The closed roof facility produces brilliant atmospherics, which gives it an advantage over other venues. The Lucas Oil Stadium has hosted numerous other events since the opening in 2008.
Visitors to Indianapolis can also visit one of the most iconic race circuits in the world. For petrol-heads that love football, this is a dream venue.
The prospect of tailgaiting in the cold Indiana climate lets this venue down.
9. Los Angeles Memorial Stadium, Los Angeles 1967, 1973
Capacity 93,607
Annual average temperature in February; 61 degrees Fahrenheit.
90,000 fans were packed into the stadium for the Super Bowl VII. It?s huge capacity and location gives it the same advantages as the Rose Bowl. The stadium also hosted the Olympic games twice in 1932 and 1984.
8. University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale 2008
Capacity: 63,400 (expandable to 78,600)
Annual average temperature in February; 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
The state of the art stadium will host the 2015 Super Bowl. When packed to full capacity the fans are able to generate some real noise. The mid-winter sun also makes for good tailgaiting as well as the all the other Super Bowl build up events that are put on in the build up to Super Bowl Sunday.
What lets this venue down? The location, sorry residents of Glendale, it doesn?t quite have the pull that Tampa has.
7. Mercedes-Benz Dome, New Orleans 1978, 1981, 1986, 1990, 1997, 2002, 2013
Capacity 76,468
Annual average temperature in February; 58 degrees Fahrenheit.
Clearly a favourite of the NFL, New Orleans has seen plenty of Super Bowl action. Renowned for its potential to be noise and hostile, the stadium has excellent atmospherics. They know how to party in New Orleans and the stadium is not far from the French Quarter.
The relatively good average temperatures for February make it an ideal place to enjoy the Super Bowl without having to wear your warmest Arctic parker. The stadium is ageing somewhat.
6. Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens Florida 1989, 1995, 1999, 2007, 2010
Capacity Up to 80,000
Annual average temperature in February; 66 degrees Fahrenheit.
Another Florida stadium gives this venue an advantage over other locations. There is plenty to do in Miami and the sun tan lotion is required whilst sinking a few beers. To the North lies Orlando, to South the Florida Keys, what more does a football fan want?
What lets this venue down is the stadium; it?s not aesthetically pleasing on the eye. Opened in 1987, it?s not getting any younger.
5. Miami Orange Bowl, Miami 1968, 1969, 1971, 1976, 1979
Capacity 79,484 for Super Bowl XIII
Annual average temperature in February; 66 degrees Fahrenheit.
You're asking why the Orange Bowl is at number five? It was obviously fitting enough for the NFL to select it to host the Super Bowl five times in the space of 11 years.
4. The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California 1977, 1980, 1983, 1987, 1993
Capacity 94,000
Annual average temperature in February; 61 degrees Fahrenheit.
Think of California and the warm weather springs to mind. Think of the Rose Bowl and the huge capacity crowds springs to mind. The large capacity crowd gives this stadium a very big advantage. I am no stranger to hunting down tickets for sports events, cooperate tickets eat into a teams ticket allocation and every extra seat means that another ticket is available for the die-hard fan. The stadium hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1994 and that in its own right is a status in itself.
Pasadena is a city of science and culture and with its close proximity to Los Angeles and Anaheim, it makes for a good experience overall.
The open arena does not capture the roar of the crowd as much as those stadiums that are enclosed.
3. Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego 1988, 1998, 2003
Capacity 71,500
Annual average temperature in February; 61 degrees Fahrenheit.
San Diego is great place to go on vacation. Whether or not you want to stroll along the miles of beach, eat in the Gaslamp Quarter or visit the USS Midway, there is always something to do in San Diego. This is one NFL venue that provides a vacation package for any NFL fan.
Despite upgrades to the VIP suites etc. the stadium is ageing. In a recent poll it was voted 32nd in NFL stadium rankings. When it last hosted the Super Bowl in 2003, some of the more modern stadiums had not been built.
Who would argue with a few days away in San Diego?
2. The Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay 2001, 2009
Capacity 65,867 (expandable to 75,000)
Annual average temperature in February; 66 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tampa Bay, Florida. What more is there to say? Fishing, sun, theme parks and wildlife, its all on the doorstep of Tampa. With its iconic 103-foot-long pirate ship, the stadium is very iconic. Tailgaiting in the sun is always a bonus; there is no need for gloves or a woolly hat at the RJS.
I have visited many countries and many parts of the USA, Florida will always remain as one of the best places I have visited. Millions of others will probably agree.
1. AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas 2011
Capacity 80,000 (expandable to 105,000)
Annual average temperature in February; 57 degrees Fahrenheit.
Should I end this post here? At a cost of $1.3 billion this stadium simply blows the rest out of the water, I am not just talking in the United States either. Mesmerising, iconic, beautiful, call it what you want. Cowboys fans you are blessed with the number one stadium on the planet.
Who wouldn?t want to play at the AT&T?
Slightly chillier (on average) than Tampa, Miami and San Diego, this is the only negative point I could find with this venue.
There you have it, many of you will be mulling over my top ten Super Bowl venues. I will leave you with this. Despite all the great stadiums around the USA, should the NFL build a mega-stadium for primary use as 'The Super Bowl Venue'? Winter Super Bowl anyone?
Ranking The Top 10 Venues To Host A Super Bowl
By John Wozniak
January 21, 2014 11:08 pm
The Rose Bowl
The Super Bowl is one of the most iconic and watched events in the sporting calendar. Global TV viewing figures almost blow any other sporting event out of the water. In this article I will rank the top ten venues that have hosted the Super Bowl.
You, as the reader, will have your own favourite venues. The ranking system I have used takes into consideration the pull factor for the city/area, climate and capacity of the stadium.
As a reminder, Miami has hosted the Super Bowl on 10 occasions (two venues) Louisiana has hosted the Super Bowl on seven occasions.
Starting in reverse order, sit back and relax as I take you through my top ten Super Bowl venues.
10. Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis 2012
Capacity 67,000
Annual average temperature in February; 28 degrees Fahrenheit.
The state of the art stadium made its Super Bowl debut in 2012. Capacity can be expanded to 70,000. The closed roof facility produces brilliant atmospherics, which gives it an advantage over other venues. The Lucas Oil Stadium has hosted numerous other events since the opening in 2008.
Visitors to Indianapolis can also visit one of the most iconic race circuits in the world. For petrol-heads that love football, this is a dream venue.
The prospect of tailgaiting in the cold Indiana climate lets this venue down.
9. Los Angeles Memorial Stadium, Los Angeles 1967, 1973
Capacity 93,607
Annual average temperature in February; 61 degrees Fahrenheit.
90,000 fans were packed into the stadium for the Super Bowl VII. It?s huge capacity and location gives it the same advantages as the Rose Bowl. The stadium also hosted the Olympic games twice in 1932 and 1984.
8. University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale 2008
Capacity: 63,400 (expandable to 78,600)
Annual average temperature in February; 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
The state of the art stadium will host the 2015 Super Bowl. When packed to full capacity the fans are able to generate some real noise. The mid-winter sun also makes for good tailgaiting as well as the all the other Super Bowl build up events that are put on in the build up to Super Bowl Sunday.
What lets this venue down? The location, sorry residents of Glendale, it doesn?t quite have the pull that Tampa has.
7. Mercedes-Benz Dome, New Orleans 1978, 1981, 1986, 1990, 1997, 2002, 2013
Capacity 76,468
Annual average temperature in February; 58 degrees Fahrenheit.
Clearly a favourite of the NFL, New Orleans has seen plenty of Super Bowl action. Renowned for its potential to be noise and hostile, the stadium has excellent atmospherics. They know how to party in New Orleans and the stadium is not far from the French Quarter.
The relatively good average temperatures for February make it an ideal place to enjoy the Super Bowl without having to wear your warmest Arctic parker. The stadium is ageing somewhat.
6. Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens Florida 1989, 1995, 1999, 2007, 2010
Capacity Up to 80,000
Annual average temperature in February; 66 degrees Fahrenheit.
Another Florida stadium gives this venue an advantage over other locations. There is plenty to do in Miami and the sun tan lotion is required whilst sinking a few beers. To the North lies Orlando, to South the Florida Keys, what more does a football fan want?
What lets this venue down is the stadium; it?s not aesthetically pleasing on the eye. Opened in 1987, it?s not getting any younger.
5. Miami Orange Bowl, Miami 1968, 1969, 1971, 1976, 1979
Capacity 79,484 for Super Bowl XIII
Annual average temperature in February; 66 degrees Fahrenheit.
You're asking why the Orange Bowl is at number five? It was obviously fitting enough for the NFL to select it to host the Super Bowl five times in the space of 11 years.
4. The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California 1977, 1980, 1983, 1987, 1993
Capacity 94,000
Annual average temperature in February; 61 degrees Fahrenheit.
Think of California and the warm weather springs to mind. Think of the Rose Bowl and the huge capacity crowds springs to mind. The large capacity crowd gives this stadium a very big advantage. I am no stranger to hunting down tickets for sports events, cooperate tickets eat into a teams ticket allocation and every extra seat means that another ticket is available for the die-hard fan. The stadium hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1994 and that in its own right is a status in itself.
Pasadena is a city of science and culture and with its close proximity to Los Angeles and Anaheim, it makes for a good experience overall.
The open arena does not capture the roar of the crowd as much as those stadiums that are enclosed.
3. Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego 1988, 1998, 2003
Capacity 71,500
Annual average temperature in February; 61 degrees Fahrenheit.
San Diego is great place to go on vacation. Whether or not you want to stroll along the miles of beach, eat in the Gaslamp Quarter or visit the USS Midway, there is always something to do in San Diego. This is one NFL venue that provides a vacation package for any NFL fan.
Despite upgrades to the VIP suites etc. the stadium is ageing. In a recent poll it was voted 32nd in NFL stadium rankings. When it last hosted the Super Bowl in 2003, some of the more modern stadiums had not been built.
Who would argue with a few days away in San Diego?
2. The Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay 2001, 2009
Capacity 65,867 (expandable to 75,000)
Annual average temperature in February; 66 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tampa Bay, Florida. What more is there to say? Fishing, sun, theme parks and wildlife, its all on the doorstep of Tampa. With its iconic 103-foot-long pirate ship, the stadium is very iconic. Tailgaiting in the sun is always a bonus; there is no need for gloves or a woolly hat at the RJS.
I have visited many countries and many parts of the USA, Florida will always remain as one of the best places I have visited. Millions of others will probably agree.
1. AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas 2011
Capacity 80,000 (expandable to 105,000)
Annual average temperature in February; 57 degrees Fahrenheit.
Should I end this post here? At a cost of $1.3 billion this stadium simply blows the rest out of the water, I am not just talking in the United States either. Mesmerising, iconic, beautiful, call it what you want. Cowboys fans you are blessed with the number one stadium on the planet.
Who wouldn?t want to play at the AT&T?
Slightly chillier (on average) than Tampa, Miami and San Diego, this is the only negative point I could find with this venue.
There you have it, many of you will be mulling over my top ten Super Bowl venues. I will leave you with this. Despite all the great stadiums around the USA, should the NFL build a mega-stadium for primary use as 'The Super Bowl Venue'? Winter Super Bowl anyone?
