NEW ORLEANS – The NFL owners have officially approved the City of New Orleans to host Super Bowl LVIII in 2024.
The announcement comes after New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson and team president Dennis Lauscha made a final presentation to a panel of NFL owners Wednesday morning in Atlanta.
The 2024 Super Bowl would be the eleventh time that New Orleans has hosted the big game. And the big game means big money for the city.
In 2013, the University of New Orleans estimated that the economic impact from the city’s last Super Bowl was around $480 million. New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association Executive Director Mavis Early said the Super Bowl is the biggest of big deals for any city.
"It's great for the economy," Early said. "It's great for the reputation of our city. The exposure you get alone in the media is priceless."
Early added, New Orleans has added more than 1,000 new hotel rooms since the 2013 game.
"We have more hotel rooms now," Early said. "We know how to do this. We've had ten Super Bowls before."
The big game is also a boom for small businesses and minority and women-owned businesses.
Diane Lyons is president of Accent New Orleans, a full-service event management business.
Her company worked the last 7 Super Bowls in New Orleans.
"We hired lots of caterers, buses and valet parking and Super Bowl stretches out to everyone in New Orleans when it's here," Lyons said.
Cicero maintains the economic impact has risen since the 2013 game.
"You'd have to think it would be even bigger in 2024," Cicero said.
The 2024 Super Bowl would hit right in the middle of the Mardi Gras celebration like it has the previous two times New Orleans hosted the big game.
That means some Carnival parades and other events would be staged a week early to accommodate the Super Bowl.