• Have something to say? Register Now! and be posting in minutes!

Reasons why Nashville can't host a Super Bowl yet

UTVolCountry

(>',')> Laser_Mike_89
39,525
1,073
173
Joined
Feb 8, 2010
Location
under a rock
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
6 reasons why Nashville can't host a Super Bowl yet

1402342030000-nasdc5-6dye04raenobcgw28o7-original.jpg

USA TODAY Sports
LP Field, home of the Titans, may not have the capacity seating to host a Super Bowl without some temporary extra seats.

Over the weekend, a 154-page document was leaked, showing just what cities are up against in trying to land the mother of all sporting events — the Super Bowl.

According to the confidential document leaked to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the National Football League has a voluminous list of guidelines that potential host cities must meet.
The prize would be an event that guarantees worldwide attention, and an economic impact that could be worth several hundred million dollars.
Even though Nashville's sports profile has been rising lately and it just played host to the NCAA women's basketball Final Four, there are a number of reasons why Nashville isn't quite ready to compete for a Super Bowl bid just yet.

1. LP Field
According to the leaked guidelines, the minimum requirement for stadium size is a capacity of 70,000.
LP Field's current capacity is 69,143, and with temporary seating, the overall capacity could top 72,000.
But remember, that's the minimum and the biggest strike against LP Field is its age.
Most recent Super Bowls have been geared toward newer stadiums.
When Indianapolis — a city close to Nashville's size — hosted the big game, it had Lucas Oil Stadium as a showpiece for the league. It was only a few years old at the time.
Many observers said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's comments earlier this year about taking the Super Bowl to more cities had a "read-between-the-lines" message — invest in new stadiums, and we'll think about coming to you.

2. The Weather
Speaking of stadiums, domes — or good weather — are high on the NFL's wish list.
However, domes are not a requirement for all cities, just those whose high temperatures are below 50 degrees on Super Bowl Sunday, which is typically in early February.
Nashville's average daily temperature on Feb. 1?
49 degrees.
Pretty close, and the NFL could offer an exemption if the host city agreed to have sideline heaters in place to help moderate temperatures, if necessary.
But, remember, we're talking minimum standards here. Domed stadiums and cities with warmer higher temperatures are still going to have a major advantage.

3. Hotels
According to the leaked guidelines, a city must have available hotel rooms that are greater than 35 percent of the stadium's capacity within a 60-minute drive of the stadium. That's 60 minutes during peak driving times, by the way.
For LP and Nashville, that would mean more than 25,000 hotel rooms.
On the plus side, the city actually has more than 26,175 hotel rooms, according to the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau.
And that number is expected to grow with more projects in the pipeline.
But it's another close call, and assuming that the NFL takes up the bulk of the room in Nashville, it leaves little room for Nashville's ongoing tourist economy, which has been setting records of late.
Compare Nashville totals to Indianapolis, which has more 33,000 hotel rooms, shows that some cities just have a little more breathing room.

4. Parking
This is one area where Nashville clearly struggles.
The NFL requires at least 35,000 parking spaces within a mile of the stadium grounds.
LP Field has 7,500 parking spaces available on-site with more than 20,000 existing parking spaces nearby — a total of about 27,500 spaces.
Interesting, while the city's lack of major public transit has been cited as a negative for attracting a Super Bowl in the past, the NFL's guidelines have no minimum requirements for public transportation.
In fact, the only mention of public transit stipulates that a system could help reduce some of the parking requirements.

5. Not enough taxis.
This one is also pretty clear.
NFL guidelines require at least 1,000 taxis operating in the city. In mid-2012, the city had around 585 operating cabs. In the past couple of years, that total has jumped to 700 with the opening of the Music City Center, but it still falls short of the requirements.
An interesting twist would be if the NFL allowed companies like Uber and Lyft to be counted in the totals.
While taxi companies complain about the new services, they could definitely help Nashville close the gap on some larger rivals.

6. It's more than just a game.
Gameday is just one part of Super Bowl week.
For instance, the NFL Experience, which can attract upwards of 150,000 fans in the week leading up to the Super Bowl, requires a minimum of 850,000 square feet indoors, according to the NFL.
Nashville now has the Music City Center that could hold the event, but it falls short in terms of parking again.
The Experience requires 10,000 parking spaces, and while MCC has 1,800 spaces on-site, the additional parking requirements would squeeze out other downtown patrons, who need those spaces during the workweek.
Another big event — the NFL Tailgate Party — requires at least 400,000 square feet that is within walking distance of the stadium.
It's clear that the demands of the Super Bowl go far beyond the game itself.
 

Yankee Traveler

Well-Known Member
15,581
8,113
533
Joined
Apr 17, 2013
Location
Clarksville
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
Needs more strip clubs too. Got a few skank stops but nothing classy.
 

UTVolCountry

(>',')> Laser_Mike_89
39,525
1,073
173
Joined
Feb 8, 2010
Location
under a rock
Hoopla Cash
$ 1,000.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
Well, yeah. More classy titty bars would help.
 

HammerDown

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member Level 3
68,257
5,320
533
Joined
Dec 21, 2012
Hoopla Cash
$ 198.00
Fav. Team #1
Fav. Team #2
Fav. Team #3
Would be amazing to see Nashville get a Super Bowl. If Jacksonville can get one, why hasn't Nashville? I don't see any of those top 6 reasons being a deal-breaker. :scratch:
 
Top