The NFL is having two very important decisions made this week, as both Super Bowl L and LI will be awarded with votes and it will likely come down to San Francisco and Miami for the first game and the loser of that vote against Houston for the second game.
The 49ers are currently building their brand new, billion dollar, environmentally friendly stadium, while the Dolphins have put nearly $40 million into their Super Bowl bid while trying to get major renovations at Sun Life Stadium. Houston is happy to battle for the next game and likely will get it if Miami can't get their plans in order. The new San Francisco stadium is expected to be one of the best in the nation and the team unveiled the plans last week with Levi's, the sponsor.
The Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events in the world and each year teams from around the NFL bid for the right to host future games to put themselves in the position to earn the lucrative benefits of having the game in town and the new stadium naming deal for the San Francisco 49ers could be the first step in that bidding process.
According to ESPN.com, the 49ers and the company Levi's have come to an agreement on naming rights for the team's new stadium that will be built in Santa Clara and now will be named "Levi's Stadium." The report says that the team and Levi Strauss & Co. announced the deal on Wednesday and it will be for 20 years and $220 million for the naming rights to the new location. The company has deep roots in the city and the new stadium will be located in Santa Clara and the Silicon Valley and will be a very environmentally friendly building.
The 49ers currently play in Candlestick Park, which also used to be home for the Giants and is one of the oldest stadiums in the league, and next season will be the final one in the stadium for the franchise. The team has its headquarters and practice facility in Santa Clara and now they have a $1.2 billion stadium to go with it, which is located over 40 miles from the old stadium. The 49ers are planning to bid for a Super Bowl in the next few seasons following next year's New York-based game.
The Super Bowl games in 2016 and 2017 are open and the 49ers have their naming rights secured ahead of the next NFL meetings in late May, when the decisions on the games are expected to be made. Miami is expected to be a prime contender, but after their issues with renovating the stadium and public financing, San Francisco or even Denver could sneak in and get the bid. According to Pro Football Talk, due to the issues with the Dolphins, the Broncos could bid on one of the future Super Bowl's, following New York as a cold-weather city to get the game. Houston is also a favorite to get one of the upcoming games.
The 49ers have one of the largest yearly deals of any team in the NFL and it is comparable to the San Francisco Giants, who have a $50 million, 24-year deal at their stadium by the water in downtown San Fran. The team partnered with a company that has historical ties to the city, as the company was originally founded as a dry goods store in 1853 and the company also developed the first blue jean.
"Levi's jeans were designed for the 49ers during the gold rush," team CEO Jed York said. "It was a good fit for them then and it's a good fit today."
