Several years after he told South Florida that without major renovations to Sun Life Stadium, the Super Bowl won’t be coming back; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is set to return to South Florida to get a first-hand look at the construction and talk to Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.
NBC 6’s Adam Kuperstein talked to Goodell Friday as the NFL puts the final preparations on Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Arizona. Kuperstein asked Goodell if he was pleased with the renovations and the commissioner said he wants to see the construction in person first which he will do in the next two weeks.
So does that mean South Florida could be in the running again to host another Super Bowl?
Goodell was non-committal, but left the door open to the big game returning to Sun Life Stadium in 2019 or 2020.
“I think the (stadium) improvements are an important element of it,” Goodell said of South Florida’s chances to host the Super Bowl.
South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee Chairman Rodney Bareto told Kuperstein that he is very confident with the changes to Sun Life, the 2019 or 2020 Super Bowl will once again come back to Miami.
Goodell was part of the catalyst to get improvements to Sun Life. In 2010, the last year Miami hosted a Super Bowl, Goodell warned the area that without a renovated stadium the Super Bowl wouldn’t return to the area.
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That set off several years of negotiations for public money to help renovate, which failed, and culminated in a deal that will see the Dolphins get several million in public funds for each large event, like a Super Bowl, the team can bring to the stadium.
In return, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross agreed to take on the cost of the renovations to Sun Life Stadium which will eventually include a roof over most of the fans among other improvements.
