Historic NFL stadium loses Super Bowl hosting rights despite $500m renovations

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has claimed Hard Rock Stadium has slipped out of Super Bowl rotation, in a blow that could cost millions.

The city has hosted the NFL‘s annual event 11 times since the first in January 1967, and most recently had the honor in 2020.

Getty

Super Bowl LIV, which saw the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers, is said to have delivered a $571 million economic boost to South Florida.

But it could be quite some time before Miami gets another big payday.

Dolphins owner reveals why stadium has fallen out of Super Bowl rotation

Speaking last week, Ross revealed that Hard Rock Stadium no longer meets NFL requirements to hold the annual event, despite making more than $500m in renovations less than a decade ago.

The league requires Super Bowl hosts to have sufficient room for hospitality around the stadium — something that could prove a stumbling block for the future Cleveland Browns stadium, too.

In Miami, that room has been dramatically reduced after the construction of the Formula 1 circuit, which sees drivers race around the private grounds of the stadium.

Tennis courts and infrastructure for the Miami Open have also had an impact.

“The one thing that suffered is Miami hasn’t gotten a Super Bowl here, and we normally have one every five years,” Dolphins owner Ross said at a conference last Thursday, via the South Florida Business Journal.

“Miami is not really in line for one.

“It’s always exciting to have the Super Bowl but that was before we had all the other events. Miami has by far the best weather.

“It’s in their best interest to have one here but at this point they don’t believe we meet all the requirements and the demands.”

Getty

Despite slipping out of the rotation, Ross hasn’t given up on the possibility of bringing the Super Bowl back to Miami in future.

The next few hosts have already been decided, with the game awarded to Los Angeles (2027), Atlanta (2028) and Las Vegas (2029).

“We are looking at how to make improvements,” Ross added.

“I want to make the stadium always feel like a new stadium, we are looking at what the next phase will be and making the fan experience that much better.”

For now, it appears the Dolphins have opted for F1 and the Miami Open over Super Bowls.

That decision can be justified from a financial point of view, due to the annual revenue generated by those two events, compared to infrequent Super Bowl hosting duties.

Getty

Hard Rock Stadium is also home to the Miami Hurricanes college football program, and hosts a number of other concerts and events each year.

Which cites have hosted the most Super Bowls?

The loss of the Super Bowl, though, could be a blow in terms of local bragging rights.

Miami and New Orleans have both hosted 11 games to date, more than any other city.

But given South Florida has slipped out of the rotation, ‘The Big Easy’ could soon pull away at the top of the list.

Getty

Next February, Los Angeles will host for the ninth time, and could soon catch up too.

As it stands, Miami is set to lose Super Bowl bragging rights, as well as the serious money a city can pull in from hosting the big game.

Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.