Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson and Governor Landry are in New York to try to lure two major events to New Orleans – the 2031 Super Bowl and a future NBA All-Star Game. NOLA.com columnist Jeff Duncan says if New Orleans fails to land the 2031 Super Bowl, the city’s next opportunity would not come until 2038.
“Because of the calendar, and the conflicts with Mardis Gras and these other conventions, really, 2031’s the only chance we have,” Duncan explained.
Benson and Landry will try to convince NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to re-enter the competition, since they missed a key deadline as they were finalizing the Superdome lease renewal; and Duncan says he’s confident that Goodell will grant their request. Duncan says the NFL would like to see more high-end hotel room inventory – a problem he says is not unique to New Orleans.
“Frankly, that’s an issue they have in almost every city they go to now except for, potentially, Miami, Los Angeles and Las Vegas,” Duncan said.
The Smoothie King Center has hosted the NBA All-Star Game three times, most recently in 2017. Duncan says in order for the building to host a fourth, it’s going to need a lot of renovations. He says the team and the city would like to, among many other things, improve the seating in the lower bowl.
“Make it a little more fan-friendly, closer to the court, add to the lower bowl. Those premium seats become important revenue streams,” Duncan noted.
Duncan says there are also plans to transform Champions Square into a mixed-use area, incorporating entertainment, retail and possibly residential.