Las Vegas being named Super Bowl host just matter of time, Goodell says

MIAMI — It’s just a matter of time before NFL owners award a Super Bowl to Las Vegas.

That’s the word from Commissioner Roger Goodell, who spoke about Las Vegas’ chances Wednesday in Miami during his annual state of the league address.

The Super Bowl in Las Vegas is imminent, according to Goodell, and official word is likely to come within the next 12 months.

“As I said when I was out there, I think we should get through the draft before we focus on the Super Bowl,” Goodell said, referring to his recent visit to Las Vegas. “But that is coming quickly, and our attempts to move to the next Super Bowl probably will be done before the end of calendar year here in ’20.”

The commissioner expressed satisfaction with the pace of construction of Allegiant Stadium, which is set to open this summer. He also said he was pleased by the manner in which Las Vegas and its business community have embraced the Raiders and the NFL.

He also indicated April’s draft is a sort of a dress rehearsal for Las Vegas on its way to hosting a Super Bowl.

An announcement is not expected when the NFL gathers for its annual owners meetings in March in Key West, Florida. However, it could happen when the owners meet again in late May in Marina del Rey, California.

Goodell spent time in Southern Nevada earlier this month at the Preview Las Vegas event and toured Allegiant Stadium. The visit affirmed his belief that Las Vegas was ready to be an NFL city.

“Las Vegas is growing, and I think becoming a more diverse city than it has been in the past,” Goodell said. “We’re anxious to be part of that.”

The Raiders have sold out their allotment of personal seat licenses (PSL) for the 65,000-seat, $2 billion stadium, and the better-than-anticipated sales increased the budget by $228 million — from $250 million to $478 million — resulting in more money for new features such as additional suites, a 26,000-square-foot field-level club, upgraded fixtures and art, and an upgraded internet connection.

“The reception has been really, really tremendous,” Goodell said. “You can see it with the fans and their reaction. Not only in ticket sales, you can see it in the business community and how they are wrapping their arms around this team. You can feel the excitement.”

The NFL has determined its Super Bowl sites through 2024: Tampa (2021) Los Angeles (2022) Glendale/Phoenix (2023) and New Orleans (2024) to follow Super Bowl LIV in Miami.

The league typically chooses new sites in tandems, so Las Vegas seems likely to host in 2025 or 2026.

The process by which the NFL chooses its host cities for Super Bowls has changed over the years, with the league recently ditching its bid model in which the NFL would encourage cities to bid. From those markets, the league would send out bid documents to select finalists, who would then present their case as host cities to the league. The 32 owners would then vote on the final bids to determine the Super Bowl host.

Now the league is reaching out to cities asking if they’d be interested in hosting, and if they are, a negotiating process ensues to firm up a deal.

With Allegiant Stadium opening this summer, and the NFL eager to showcase it and tap into the allure of Las Vegas as a big-event city, it looks like the league is gearing up to make that call sooner rather than later.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore onTwitter.