Its opening is still years away, but the new Las Vegas Stadium for the Oakland Raiders is already emerging as a contender to host a Super Bowl as early as 2023.
The sites for Super Bowl LIII-LVI are already set, leaving the NFL with decisions to make regarding Super Bowls scheduled in the few years beyond 2022. At this point, the new Las Vegas Stadium is expected to open for the relocating Raiders in 2020. While it has not been guaranteed a Super Bowl, the upcoming Las Vegas venue appears to be a strong contender to host a game down the road.
Bringing a Super Bowl to Las Vegas appears to be a distinct possibility as the league gets closer to considering its options for games beyond 2022, meaning that Super Bowl LVII in 2023 would be the earliest that the stadium is awarded the game. More from The Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Raiders owner Mark Davis serves on the Super Bowl and Major Events Advisory Committee, positioning him to have an active role in where Super Bowl LVII will be located on Feb. 5, 2023. There is no guarantee the game is coming to Las Vegas then. A combination of recent history and comments from an NFL executive, however, indicate the opportunity should arrive in the next eight years.
Peter O’Reilly, the league’s senior vice president of events, identified a four-year window, beginning with the 2022 season, in which it is “realistic” for the championship game to visit the multiuse Las Vegas stadium. The site is scheduled to open as the Raiders’ home in 2020.
Las Vegas, upon hosting the game, would be the latest NFL city to which league owners have awarded a Super Bowl following a stadium construction. U.S. Bank Stadium opened in 2016 in downtown Minneapolis. The New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles will play there Sunday.
“When you think Las Vegas, clearly a great entertainment capital, the Raiders stadium,” O’Reilly said. “That said, there are a number of other cities who have been traditional hosts who haven’t hosted for a while. So, where Las Vegas sits in that next cycle of (Super Bowls) 57 to 60 is still to be determined. … Assuming everything moves forward on course, that’s a window that is realistic. … From a hotel and entertainment standpoint and what will be a tremendous venue when it’s built, (Las Vegas) is a viable Super Bowl host for sure.”
The field of future Super Bowl site contenders will likely include some more seasoned options in addition to Las Vegas. For instance, it stands reason that New Orleans and the Mercedes-Benz Superdome could make a run at its first Super Bowl since Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, while options such as the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium could also be in the mix. Super Bowl LVII will follow Super Bowl LVI, which is scheduled to be played at the new Los Angeles stadium that is currently under construction.
Rendering of Las Vegas stadium courtesy MANICA Architecture.