New Orleans Ready to Show It’s “Built to Host”
City readies to welcome the world for Super Bowl LIX with Southern hospitality
Posted On: November 18, 2024 By :There’s a three-word phrase all over New Orleans. It adorns everything from notepads to drink koozies to signage around the city: Built to Host.
It’s a catchy slogan for the popular tourist destination, but those three words have a different meaning in the coming months for the Crescent City less than three months away from hosting Super Bowl LIX on February 9, 2025.
It’s no secret that everybody involved with bringing the big game back to New Orleans for a record-tying 11th time is excited. Members of the Super Bowl host committee have countdowns running on their phones that will expire the second the ball is kicked off.
“Compared to our three other times of (this committee) hosting the Super Bowl, this is the furthest along we’ve been at this point in the year,” said Jay Cicero, president and chief executive officer of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and the Super Bowl LIX Host Committee. “Usually it goes right up to December, January and you’re kind of sweating it out. But we’ve been fortunate enough to have a really good run, and a really great committee that Marcus Brown put together for our fundraising.”
Kelly Schulz, senior vice president of communications for New Orleans & Company, organized a pre-Super Bowl International Press Trip earlier this month to show off the city.
“Along with our partners, we have been planning this event for several years, so we’re excited that we’re now only months away,” she said. “Hosting big events is what we do, and we love it. We like to say that New Orleans is ‘Built to Host’ and executing such a prestigious event with the eyes of the world on us is when we really shine.”
New Orleans held its first Super Bowl in 1970 and for decades never went more than seven years without hosting one. But next year will only be the second time since 2002 the Super Bowl comes to town.
“I can tell you honestly — and I’ve told this to local groups here — this is the most excited I’ve seen this community about a Super Bowl in all my 25 years of doing this,” Cicero said.
Renovated Superdome Ready to Host
To use the tagline “Built to Host,” you need spectacular venue in which to welcome the sports world. And New Orleans certainly has that in the Caesars Superdome, which will celebrate its 50th year of existence in 2025.
The Superdome is a survivor. The massive, 83,000-seat structure has not only outlasted most other NFL stadiums built during its time, but now is better than ever. It will host its eight Super Bowl in February but when fans from around the world walk into the venue this time, it’ll look different. A half-billion-dollar renovation that has taken place over the past four offseasons has the stadium looking and feeling new again.
“I’ve been on that field a thousand times and it never ceases to amaze me the sheer size and scope of this facility when you see it from the field,” Cicero said. “The renovations that have taken place since the last Super Bowl include the large video boards on each end, all the electronic boards around the stadium, the new ADA seating, the technology upgrades and the entrances now with the larger concourses.”
The construction included taking out 80,000 square feet of ramps, cutting out part of the upper concourse ceiling and installing escalators that go to the top of the stadium in three minutes.
The old Superdome had the narrowest concourses imaginable, which caused massive traffic jams for people going to the restroom and waiting for concessions. Now, the concession and walking area has been widened by about 50 feet. The construction crew recaptured 100,000 square feet of space that’s fan facing and 50,000 more in back of house.
The renovation is about fan experience. Better sight lines, more space, shorter lines at concessions. Yet the planners insisted that all the renovations take place inside the existing structure and not alter the iconic outside look of the stadium.
“Kudos to ASM Global, (Saints owner) Mrs. (Gayle) Benson — who put in some of her personal money to support this project — and the state of Louisiana; all these groups came together to get this renovation done over a course of four offseasons,” Cicero said. “To be able to show people this incredibly historic, iconic facility that means so much to all of us and how shiny and new it is now, is pretty cool. It’s another one of those passion moments that we feel pretty proud of.”
During a recent trip, New Orleans & Company invited media members to attend the November 10 game between the Saints and rival Atlanta Falcons. The first thing that sticks out upon arriving inside the Superdome is what Cicero pointed out — the venue is a massive structure. The view from the suite level is terrific, but there isn’t a bad sight line in the stadium.
New Orleans Atmosphere
The next important facet of “Built to Host” is the fan experience for those who will be attending Super Bowl LIX. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, when you land in New Orleans they’re going to treat you like family.
The Saints-Falcons game offered a glimpse of what game day looks like in downtown New Orleans, as more than 70,000 people packed into the Superdome. Before the game, Champions Square — a massive pregame/tailgating area next to the stadium — was filled with fans, music, sponsor activations and plenty of “Who Dat?” chants from the home faithful.
After the Saints clinched a thrilling win in the final minute over their rivals, the party really started. New Orleans prides itself on being a walkable city and that’s the mode of transportation for most of the departing fans. It leads to a massive block party of sorts as thousands of people march through the streets cheering on the way back to their hotel or parking garage.
“Super Bowl attendees love to experience our unique culture, food, music, architecture and hospitality,” Schulz said. “Many visitors and customers tell us that when they travel around the USA, some cities can seem to blend together, but when they come to New Orleans they know they are somewhere truly different and special.”
There are food vendors, music is blasting and the hum of thousands of excited fans reliving the final plays of the victory fill the streets. The scene will play out again on February 9, 2025 — just with a lot more security checkpoints.
Another major aspect of any New Orleans trip is the food. Numerous times throughout the weekend, we were treated to some of the best cuisine imaginable. As several members of the New Orleans contingent explained, cooking is a love language for them, making the city is the worst place on earth to visit while on a diet (which is extremely accurate).
What to Do Around Town
Much like the scene for Super Bowl LVII in Las Vegas earlier this year, New Orleans will provide plenty of entertainment for visiting fans in February. There’s the iconic Bourbon Street, a must-see for any New Orleans trip, especially as the city ramps up for Mardi Gras, which takes place after the Super Bowl.
The National World War II Museum, located in the heart of New Orleans, is one of the most impressive and immersive museums in the world. One could spend an entire day there and still not see everything the venue has to offer, making it a perfect attraction for Super Bowl patrons.
For those who want to learn specifically about New Orleans history, Vue New Orleans is located on the banks of the Mississippi River and provides a stunning 360-degree view of the city from its observation deck. The facility also has numerous interactive exhibits that educate about the history of the area. Oh, and Vue has the coolest elevator ride you’ll ever take.
The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, which will be the center of the Super Bowl action, is undergoing $557 million of renovations. It is the sixth-largest convention center in the United States, with 1.1 million square feet. The venue will host the NFL Experience and also house the media during Super Bowl week.
For those looking to get outside and get some fresh air, New Orleans City Park and the Botanical Gardens offer plenty of space to roam and explore. The park has 1,300 acres, making it 50 percent larger than New York City’s Central Park.
As for accommodations, the recently rebranded Caesars New Orleans Hotel & Casino is tough to beat. In addition to slot machines and table games, the hotel also offers what might be the best sportsbook outside of Las Vegas. The rooms are either brand new or recently revamped, making the Caesars New Orleans a must-stay.
Calling Baton Rouge
A day before the Saints and Falcons renewed their bitter rivalry at the Superdome, one of the premier college football rivalries in the country took place about an hour northwest of New Orleans. The Alabama Crimson Tide came calling for the LSU Tigers at one of the most iconic stadiums in all of sports, known as Death Valley.
More than 102,000 people packed into Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on a rainy November night, creating an electric atmosphere that lasted until about halftime, when Alabama took control of the game.
However, Louisiana hospitality was on full display before the game kicked off at 6:30 p.m. local time. The tailgate scene was something out of a movie, with thousands of people gathered to celebrate in the streets surrounding the area, with plenty of music, food and drink. It’s easy to see why the Southeastern Conference’s tagline is “It Just Means More.”
For the first time in several years, LSU brought a live tiger onto the field pregame. While the tiger was caged and being towed by a truck, it still presented a surreal scene of Louisiana state troopers moving people out of the tunnel by saying “there’s a tiger coming through.”
The noise level reached 113 decibels at one point during the first half and any time LSU had a big play, the roar made the press box vibrate.
Any football fan looking for a dream weekend of tailgating, culture, amazing food and loud crowds should book a trip when the Tigers and Saints are both playing at home during the same weekend. You won’t regret it.
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