Governor Paterson Announces NY Giants and Jets to Host Super Bowl XLVIII at New Meadowlands Stadium in 2014

ALBANY, NY (05/25/2010)(readMedia)-- Governor David A. Paterson today announced that the New York Giants and Jets have won the bid for Super Bowl forty-eight, triumphing over both Tampa and Miami as potential cities to host the biggest game in professional football. The New York/New Jersey bid, coined "Making Some History," outlined both the advantages of the New Meadowlands Stadium – such as state-of-the-art technology – as well as the entertainment and retail benefits of proximity to New York City. The new home of the New York Giants and New York Jets offers 82,500 seats, including 65,000 for general Stadium seating, 10,000 for club seating, 3,900 suite seats, and a 350,000-square-foot plaza outside the stadium for fans.

Beyond the stadium, New York offers a wide array of well-known venues and attractions, including the James A. Farley Post Office building or the Jacob K. Javits Center for the National Football League (NFL) Experience; the Meadowlands Racetrack and the Izod Center for the NFL Tailgate; the American Museum of Natural History or Ellis Island for the NFL Super Bowl Party; and Liberty State Park for Super Bowl Saturday night.

"A New York Super Bowl has been years in the making –this is a great day for fans of the Giants, Jets, NFL and New York," Governor Paterson said. "Together, we are going to put on the greatest show in the history of professional football. This historic game will bring thousands of visitors and pump millions into the local economy. The bright lights of Broadway will shine on the gladiators of the gridiron. I want to thank Commissioner Roger Goodell and the rest of the NFL for recognizing that this grand event needed a truly grand stage."

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said: "In 2014, the world's biggest game will take place on the world's biggest stage. We're the City that hosted 'the greatest game ever played' more than 50 years ago, and we'll be ready for Super Bowl XLVIII. Our restaurants, stores and hotels will be ready. Our pubs, cafes and attractions will be ready. And if it snows? We'll be ready for that too. (This isn't beach volleyball…it's football!) The economic impact of the Super Bowl on New York City is expected to be hundreds of millions of dollars. Given the way New Yorkers know how to throw a party, I think the impact of New York City on the Super Bowl will be just as big."

The State offered unmatched experience and resources to secure the top pick and the New York Super Bowl will offer a significant return on the investment. Based on an economic study conducted by Argus Group on behalf of the Jets and Giants football franchises, the New York Super Bowl will generate approximately $550 million dollars of economic activity in the four to six weeks surrounding the game. It is presumed that of this total, more than $500 million dollars would come directly to New York State.

Empire State Development Chairman & CEO Dennis M. Mullen: "This is great news for New York. The National Football League's last two title games were among the greatest in the history of the sport, a New York Super Bowl will mark another historic moment in football. The thrill and excitement of the 2014 Super Bowl will bring an estimated 150,000 out of town visitors and an anticipated 400,000 to Super Bowl events here in New York. As one of the world's most watched sporting events, hosting the Super Bowl here in New York is a boost to business and morale. When people root for a team they also root for the city, 52 years after the 'Greatest Game Ever played' today's announcement is another reason to love New York."

The Super Bowl Bid Committee recognized the significance of New York's proposal, and made a minor concession that acknowledged the opportunity to celebrate the new stadium, as well as the history of the NFL in New York: it approved the New Meadowlands Stadium's application to bid despite the customary requirement that host regions have either a 50-degree minimum temperature or a climate-controlled indoor stadium. Considering the likelihood of a cold game day, the State will call on the always-reliable Department of Transportation, State Turnpike Authority, and New York City Department of Sanitation to stand ready.

Empire State Development Executive Director Peter Davidson said: "For the first time since 1958, football's greatest players will be crowned champions in New York. That 1958 game, played in the old Yankee Stadium, was the game that turned the National Football League into the NFL. That was the turning-point that set the stage for fifty years of growth and prosperity. NFL players are tough, and we are glad to see that for the first time in a long while the elements of cold, snow and wind may factor into the Super Bowl results. It's time to start a new chapter in football history here in New York."

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, the NCAA's March Madness, Hambletonian, the Grammy Awards, Tony Awards, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and New Year's Eve in Times Square

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