Following today's official bid submission to the NFL, the New Meadowlands Stadium stands just votes away from hosting Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014, and football's biggest game is one down closer to a history-making appearance in the New York/New Jersey region.
The complete New Jersey/New York bid, encapsulated by the tagline "Make Some History," conceives a unique Super Bowl experience unlike any other, one that incorporates an array of stadium- and region-specific benefits, including the facility's state-of-the-art technological advancements and the vast entertainment and business offerings of nearby Manhattan.
"Our bid submission is reminiscent of a carefully compiled, comprehensive playbook, complete with moves, formations and support from a line of key players, all of which contribute to the inherent ability of the New Meadowlands Stadium and the New York/New Jersey region to host an unrivaled Super Bowl experience," said bid committee chairmen Woody Johnson and Jonathan Tisch. "We are grateful to the NFL for granting us the bid opportunity and, pending the final vote, are ready to make some history."
For the big game, the New Meadowlands Stadium, home to the New York Jets and New York Giants and set to embark on its inaugural season in September, offers 82,500 seats, including 65,000 for general stadium seating, 10,000 for club seating, and 3,900 in its suites.
For the full series of Super Bowl events, the bid offers a choice of notable landmarks and well-known attractions:
NFL Experience — the James A. Farley Post Office building or the Jacob K. Javits Center.
NFL Tailgate — the Meadowlands Racetrack and the Izod Center.
NFL Super Bowl Party — the American Museum of Natural History or Ellis Island.
Super Bowl Saturday Night — Liberty State Park.
The bid highlights New Jersey and New York's ability to provide visiting fans an unparalleled tourist experience, complemented by a multitude of sightseeing and shopping opportunities, and plenty of hotel accommodations. The area has 40 Broadway theatres, 60 Off-Broadway theatres, more than 100 museums and nearly 1,700 public parks, as well as more than 18,000 restaurant choices and 275 world-class hotels with 100,000 hotel rooms, suitable for a wide range of tastes and budgets.
Ease of travel, as supplied by the New Meadowlands Rail Line, is also emphasized and acts as a major asset and distinctive feature of the bid.
"Hosting the Super Bowl in the New York/New Jersey area will not only place the game of football on the largest stage it's ever seen, but the positive economic impact for the region will be substantial," said Johnson, Jets chairman and CEO. "Studies have shown that the economic benefit would exceed $550 million, providing a major boost to this area on many levels."
"As natives of New Jersey and New York, ownership of both the Giants and Jets is very familiar with the area and all that it offers," said John Mara, Giants president and CEO. "We would each personally cherish the opportunity to welcome the Super Bowl into our city and show the visiting teams, owners and fans the very hometowns we know and love."
Acknowledging that the bid would be a unique, once-only circumstance based on the opportunity to celebrate the new stadium and the great heritage and history of the NFL in the New York region, the committee approved the New Meadowlands Stadium's application to bid despite the traditional requirement that Super Bowl host regions have a minimum temperature of 50 degrees or a climate-controlled indoor stadium.
In the event of cold weather, the bid will rely on the area's go-to element allies, including the State Department of Transportation, State Turnpike Authority and New York City Department of Sanitation, heralded as the most efficient weather-clearing system in the country, which routinely utilizes more than 2,000 trucks to seamlessly keep the streets fully functioning in the winter months. The bid would also supply fans with handwarmers and heated seat cushions and the concourses with additional heating units.
"The New York and New Jersey area has long operated as the sports capital of America, serving as the home to 10 sports teams and as the headquarters to four professional leagues," said Steve Tisch, Giants chairman and executive vice president. "And yet football never fails to be the main attraction, and as any team that has played in the Meadowlands knows, if you can win it here, you can win it anywhere. A New York Super Bowl would offer a game for the ages."
"As expressed in the bid, we are the only stadium able to provide an inherent homefield advantage to both competing teams," said Mark Lamping, president and CEO of the New Meadowlands Stadium Company. "From the onset, our building was designed to house two NFL teams and comes fully equipped with two of everything to provide an equal, first-class experience for both Super Bowl competitors — including locker rooms, training rooms, home-team coaches booths and premium in-game medical treatment facilities, as well as two full-practice training facilities, the Timex Performance Center and Atlantic Health Jets Training Center."
The winning bid will be announced at the end of May. Two other venues are also in the running for hosting rights.
"The bid committee is especially grateful for the continued support of a few key individuals," said Lamping, "namely New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, New York Governor David Paterson, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, the Meadowlands Liberty Convention and Visitors Bureau, New York City & Company, New Jersey Transit, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey."
If New Jersey/New York-bound, Super Bowl XLVIII will join an ever-growing list of national and international events held in the New York metropolitan area, including the U.S. Open, Belmont Stakes, New York City Marathon, NCAA's March Madness, Hambletonian, Grammy Awards, Tony Awards, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and New Year's Eve in Times Square.
The Super Bowl would join an already impressive list of significant events to be held at the New Meadowlands Stadium, including highly anticipated college football matchups — Navy vs. Notre Dame and Army vs. Rutgers — and stops on the Bon Jovi and U2 world concert tours.
Upon completion, the New Meadowlands Stadium will set the standard for venue excellence, with state-of-the-art technology, comfort and amenities. With a full seating capacity of 82,500, the stadium will be the third-largest in the NFL. Highlights include four massive 30'x118' HD video display boards in each of the stadium corners, a 48"x1,810' ribbon board that circles the interior bowl, 2,100-plus HD monitors throughout the stadium; and 20 HD video pylons ranging in size from 20'x40' to 20'x60'.
Outside the stadium, a 350,000-square-foot outdoor plaza will boast fan-centric activities and pregame entertainment zones. A signature amenity of the stadium will be the brand new rail line that will drop off passengers directly in front of the stadium.
