"If Jacksonville, Florida can host a Super Bowl," so can Charlotte
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Charlotte is well prepared to host an NFL draft or Super Bowl, industry experts say.
Why it matters: Charlotte leaders seem willing to put $650 million in public dollars toward Bank of America Stadium improvements largely because of their aspirations for the venue — and city — to be "world-class."
Yes, but: Tepper Sports & Entertainment has not included a retractable roof in its $800 million plan to overhaul the stadium. A cover would improve the city's chances of landing major events like a Super Bowl and Final Fours but would cost hundreds of millions, city leaders say.
- "It is an incredibly costly venture to put a roof on a facility such as this," Tracy Dodson, assistant city manager, told council earlier in the week.
What they're saying: "If Jacksonville, Florida can host a Super Bowl — nothing against Jacksonville, but they didn't have the hotel space. They brought in cruise ships," Kieth Cockrell, president of Bank of America Charlotte, told Charlotte City Council during a panel Wednesday.
- "You have to have the courage to dream and find the solutions to ensure you can accommodate the visitors," he continued.
Between the lines: Charlotte did not put in a bid to host a 2026 Men's World Cup game, but Cockrell suggested these renovations could put the city in the running.
- "If we think Super Bowl is big, World Cup would be outrageous for our city," he said.
- Charlotte FC President Joe LaBue pointed out that Bank of America Stadium this summer is hosting two Copa America matches — "the biggest thing to happen to soccer since the 1994 World Cup." He says it aligns Charlotte with other host cities like Miami and Las Vegas.
Vinay Patel, who chairs the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, suggested hotel capacity is a non-issue since last year's Super Bowl was in Phoenix, where "the stadium is out in the middle of nowhere. Hotel rooms are miles and miles away."
- Patel noted Charlotte had enough rooms to meet requirements for the Democratic National Convention in 2012, and there are even more now.
The bottom line: "I'll be blunt. I don't think this city with an outdoor stadium is ever going to be on a Super Bowl rotation ... It's going to be the New Orleans of the world, the Floridas of the world," Patel said. "But we have the opportunity to go get it at least once after this … We have everything we need that the NFL would look for."