Another Las Vegas Super Bowl? NFL looks forward to coming back

Las Vegas pulled out all the stops hosting its first Super Bowl, impressing the NFL, with the league signaling that the city will be in the mix when future opportunities arise to host the big game.

During a handoff ceremony Monday at Mandalay Bay as Las Vegas transferred the responsibilities of hosting Super Bowl 59 to New Orleans, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell didn’t promise the biggest live sporting event in America would return.

But he came close.

“The hospitality here, you outdid it,” Goodell said. “I think it’s safe to say the NFL looks forward to coming back.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell: “It’s safe to say the NFL looks forward to coming back.” #vegas #nfl #superbowl pic.twitter.com/8QjjfNsctl

— Mick Akers (@mickakers) February 12, 2024

Goodell wasn’t alone. CBS Sports Super Bowl announcer Jim Nantz was asked about the NFL’s feeling about the Super Bowl in Las Vegas during the pregame show.

“I think they are going to want to bring it back here as soon as they can,” he said.

The soonest Las Vegas could land another Super Bowl would be 2028, since the league has already set two California locations for the next two big games after New Orleans next year.

In 2026, the Super Bowl will be held at the San Francisco 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. In 2027, it will move to SoFi Stadium, the home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers in Inglewood, Calif.

Although there is much talk of a “Super Bowl rotation list,” such a list doesn’t exist, said Peter O’Reilly, NFL executive vice president, club business, international and league events.

Each host city is awarded the Super Bowl following a successful bid on the big game.

“It’s a process with each Super Bowl that is voted on by NFL ownership,” O’Reilly said Monday. “Cities express interest, but there is no rotation in place. … This market clearly wants to have a Super Bowl back, and we’ll have those conversations, but there is not a Super Bowl rotation. But they (state and local leaders) certainly put a great foot forward with their first-ever Super Bowl.”

If former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski had his way, there wouldn’t be a need for a rotation at all.

“I think Vegas should host it every year,” Gronkowski told a TV reporter at his Gronk Beach party at Encore. “They can handle it. The energy is just electric. Just an unbelievable time.”

Sellout overtime thriller

Sunday’s sellout crowd of 61,629 was treated to an overtime thriller, won by the Kansas City Chiefs 25-22 over the 49ers, as the city lived up to the massive hype of hosting the game in the entertainment capital of the world.

Officials from the state, city and county came together to pull off such a large event and aided in this year’s success, O’Reilly said.

“Spectacular. This definitely met and exceeded all of our expectations in terms of Super Bowl,” he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal following the news conference Monday. “Operationally very smooth and a showcase moment on Sunday that was really epic. From the moment we got into our NFL control early Sunday morning, to see people smoothly come in, see the stadium fill, and feel the energy through pregame, and then just one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time and then to see people safely exit. Las Vegas definitely rose to the occasion.”

After the big game and the over 300 events that took place during Super Bowl week, no major issues were reported during Southern Nevada’s first shot as hosting.

The 2025 Super Bowl will mark New Orleans’ 11th time hosting the big game, tying Miami for the most in NFL history.

With the success of the event and its projected revenue generation of up to $1 billion, state and local leaders made a point to let Goodell know they want the game back as soon as possible.

“I will take this opportunity, and in governor discretion, to ask the commissioner to forgo their rotation plans of the Super Bowl and maybe get them here sooner than later,” Gov. Joe Lombardo said.

The words didn’t fall on deaf ears. Goodell said their wishes were duly noted.

“I think I got the message about having another Super Bowl in Las Vegas,” Goodell said.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.