NFL
NFL Requirements For A City To Host The Super Bowl

The NFL has listed multiple general requirements in the past for a city to host the Super Bowl, including interest from the local football team, stadium quality, hotel inventory, a media center, corporate and community support, and approval from three-quarters of the league’s owners.
NFL Requirements For A City To Host The Super Bowl Include Warm Climate, Average Temperatures Of At Least 50 Degrees
In addition to providing state-of-the-art practice fields for both teams, the city must have fields that are warm enough or in a climate-controlled environment like a dome. The weather is a very important factor. It would explain why a city like Denver has never hosted the Super Bowl.
The NFL required temperature in the month leading up to the Super Bowl is an average temperature of 50 degrees. Denver’s average is 30.7 degrees. Other cold weather cities like Minneapolis, Indianapolis, and Detroit have all hosted the Super Bowl in the past, but unlike Denver, those stadiums are in a dome.
Here are the cities that have hosted the most Super Bowls:
- Miami: 11
- New Orleans: 11
- Los Angeles: 8
- Tampa: 5
- San Diego: 3
- Atlanta: 3
- Houston: 3
Cold-Weather City Will Only Be Considered With Dome Stadium
Regardless of whether the game is played in January or February, both are winter months, and it’s unfortunately the time of the year that automatically rules out non-dome teams in the northern states.
The Super Bowl has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game has been played on the second Sunday in February.
Prior Super Bowls were played on Sundays in early to mid-January from 1967 to 1978, late January from 1979 to 2003, and the first Sunday of February from 2004 to 2021. The NFL prefers the championship game to be played in warmer weather.
Venues Must Have Seating Capacities Of At Least 70,000
In 2014, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune obtained a copy of the NFL’s “Host City Bid Specifications and Requirements.” The 153-page document detailed one specific requirement that venues must have seating capacities of at least 70,000 (or allow for temporary expanded seating to meet the threshold). That requirement is obvious.
However, there are a couple of ridiculous requirements that aren’t well-known to NFL fans.
NFL Requires A Minimum Number Of Hotel Rooms Within A 60-Minute Driving Radius Of The Stadium
The NFL requires a minimum number of hotel rooms within a 60-minute driving radius of the stadium, equal to 35% of the listed capacity. As part of the contract, the selected team hotels must be able to provide proof that they’ve each offered NFL Network to customers for a year prior to the date of the game. At least 25,000 hotel rooms are required in the area as well.
League Requires Waivers Of Any Local Laws Prohibiting The Sale Of Alcoholic Beverages For Postgame Parties
The league requires waivers of any local laws prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages so that such drinks may be served until at least 4 a.m. after the game at the site of all official league and team postgame parties. This also includes exclusive, cost-free use of 35,000 parking spaces on game day.
NFL Must Have The Option To Install ATMs That Accept NFL Preferred Credit/Debit Cards In Exchange For Cash
The NFL must also have the “option to install ATMs that accept NFL preferred credit/debit cards in exchange for cash” and to cover up all other ATMs. It’s one absurd requirement that a number of businesses fail to meet.
Top Quality 18-Hole Golf Courses, Top Quality Bowling Lanes
Next, the league lists the use of three “top quality 18-hole golf courses” and two “top quality” bowling lanes as additional facilities needed at no cost to the league. The NFL demands the host city to provide enough entertainment to tourists during Super Bowl week.
Natural Grass Field Has To Be Re-Sodded Before The Game
Most importantly, the NFL requires a natural grass field to be re-sodded before the game. The league will not pay to have the grass installed or removed. The host location is still required to foot the installation bill.