Indianapolis “hat in the ring” for 2012 Super Bowl
Community input will be critical, says bid committee;
visit www.OUR2012SB.com for more (INDIANAPOLIS - February 19, 2008) A year after the Indianapolis Colts brought the Lombardi trophy to the Circle City, government, corporate and civic leaders gathered today to confirm that Indianapolis will pursue another title – Super Bowl City.
Indianapolis will move forward in its bid to bring the NFL’s title game to Lucas Oil Stadium in 2012, in an announcement made at the Indiana State Museum by Mayor Greg Ballard, Colts owner Jim Irsay, Eli Lilly and Company President John Lechleiter and the president of the bid committee, Mark Miles. Governor Mitch Daniels also serves as a co-chair of the effort, and was represented at the event by Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman. (The full Super Bowl 2012 Board of Directors roster follows.)
“A few weeks ago, I asked Mark [Miles] and John [Lechleiter] to look at our chances for landing the 2012 Super Bowl, to gauge the support of civic and community leaders and confirm that the bid makes sense for the city and its taxpayers,” said Mayor Ballard.
“The answer to all of our questions was a resounding ‘yes’ – so I’m pleased to announce that it’s official – our hat is in the ring.”
“Hosting the Super Bowl would provide a tremendous economic return on the investments that have been made by the city and state,” added Skillman. “Indianapolis has been preparing for this opportunity for several years by building a convenient and tourist-friendly downtown, establishing a renowned convention center, and launching the Lucas Oil Stadium project. We are certainly poised to host the teams, fans and business that the Super Bowl would bring.”
Indianapolis narrowly missed winning the right to host the 2011 Super Bowl, finishing as runner-up to North Texas in a vote of the league’s owners. The 2012 bid will build on the well-received 2011 submission, with further innovations and enhancements to be added.
Community input will be critical, according to Mark Miles, especially on elements of the bid like the proposed downtown Super Bowl “Village,” strategies to showcase the city and host the tens of thousands of visitors, and creating a lasting civic legacy from the game.
“This is the community’s bid,” said Miles. “Collectively as citizens of Indianapolis and as Hoosiers, we all benefit if we win the Super Bowl, and we all need to pull together to make it happen. We want to tap into the community’s energy and expertise, and gather the best ideas from every source.”
The Bid Committee announced the formation of a new Community Advisory Council to help gather this input. Initial appointments to the Council include Indiana Supreme Court Justice Ted Boehm, former City-County Councillor Phil Borst, Dr. Alfredo Lopez of the Alivio Medical Center and IU School of Medicine, Tanya Bell of Indiana Black Expo, Dennis Bland of the Center for Leadership Development and Molly Chavers of the local young professionals network Indy Hub; this membership will grow as the process moves forward.
The committee also announced a website, www.OUR2012SB.com, which will provide updates on the bid process and host an online community that will allow visitors to join the conversation. The site will also link to other online forums, like IndyStar.com and MyColts.net, to reach the widest possible audience.
Preliminary bid documents will be submitted to the NFL by April 1st, with the final bid due on May 9th. Indianapolis representatives will then travel to the league meeting in Atlanta to make the city’s presentation face-to-face to the NFL team owners in late May, with a final decision expected by May 21st. Jim Irsay believes the city’s bid will be well-received by the owners, and ultimately successful.
“It’s been 24 years since the Colts came to Indianapolis, and we’ve seen the city grow into a world-class home for championship sports,” said Irsay, citing events like the 1987 Pan-American Games, NCAA Final Fours, the Indy 500 and Allstate Brickyard 400. “We also continue to build a strong relationship with the NFL, hosting this year’s Kickoff Celebration, another playoff game and the annual Combine. This is our moment, and the Colts are ready to help in any way possible.”
Indianapolis also distinguished itself during the 2011 bid process by the enthusiastic support of its corporate community, which pledged $25 million in private sector contributions for the Super Bowl. John Lechleiter of Eli Lilly and Company and Cathy Langham of Langham Logistics co-chaired the Super Bowl Business Advisory Council for the 2011 bid, and have agreed to reprise those roles this year. They report that fundraising efforts for 2012 are off to a good start.
“Last year was the first time any potential host city had completed its fundraising efforts before its presentation to the NFL owners, and we’re on pace to match or exceed that performance this year,” said Lechleiter. “It’s a testament to the generosity and civic spirit of our corporate community, and should be a signal to the NFL of the kind of support and cooperation they’ll receive in coming to Indianapolis.”
Central Indiana residents are encouraged to visit www.OUR2012SB.com often for updates on the bid process between now and May, to volunteer and offer their insights and ideas on the bid.
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Indianapolis Super Bowl 2012 Board of Directors:
Mayor Greg Ballard (Co-Chair)
City of Indianapolis
Myles Brand
NCAA
Derrick Burks (Treasurer)
Ernst & Young
Governor Mitch Daniels (Co-Chair)
State of Indiana
Tony George
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Jim Irsay (Co-Chair)
Indianapolis Colts
Cathy Langham (Vice President)
Langham
John Lechleiter (Secretary)
Eli Lilly and Company
Mark Miles (President)
Central Indiana Corporate Partnership
David Simon
Simon Property Group, Inc.
Jeff Smulyan
Emmis Communications
Jack Swarbrick (Vice President)
Baker & Daniels
Dr. Eugene White
Indianapolis Public Schools
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