Will Indy Host A Super Bowl Again?

Indianapolis is not going to host the Super Bowl in 2018. National Football League owners voted Tuesday to give the title game to Minneapolis.

Ken Ungar, president of U/S Sports Advisors, an Indianapolis-based sports marketing agency, says the NFL has a billion reasons to give Minneapolis Super Bowl LII.

"I think it shows that when cities build new facilities, they are going to go to the head of the line and be considered primary for new Super Bowl awards," said Ungar.  "I think we saw that with San Francisco.  We are certainly seeing that with Minneapolis.  With a new billion dollar, state of the art, stadium the NFL is really identifying its priorities here."

The economic impact of Indianapolis hosting the Super Bowl in 2012 was $176 million.  Ungar says he is not sure when, but believes the city will bid to host the NFL’s title game again.

"I think our bid from all appearances was fantastic.  It hit on all cylinders.  It had all the right stuff to it.  It just wasn't our year," he said.  "I think if we repeat the types of things we had in this year's bid, I know that we will be successful in future bids."

Ungar is particularly impressed with the bid’s Legacy Project to study concussions.

"We kind of combined resources to really address an issue that is not only at the forefront of safety issues being considered by the NFL, but in sports in general," said Ungar.  "This is an issue that really is something important in all sports and Indianapolis stepped to the forefront again to address it as part of its Super Bowl bid.  I think it was pure genius."

The project would have been a combined effort of Indianapolis organizations, including the American College of Sports Medicine and USA Football. 

Even though the city didn’t win the Super Bowl bid, Ungar believes those groups will still lead in sports medicine initiatives.