As the Detroit Lions continue their trek through the preseason and eye towards Week 1, team president Rod Wood is preparing for the future.
It was reported back in March that the team and city of Detroit were looking to bid on hosting future Super Bowls or NFL Drafts. And on Tuesday, Wood and the Lions and a chance to promote that very possibility with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in town, touring the newly-renovated Ford Field.
Wood says they have done everything they could thus far to promote such events in the future.
“We’ve actually submitted renderings of what the draft may look like if we hosted it in Detroit,” Wood said. “I know a number of other cities have done the same thing and we’re going to hear back from the NFL soon on that, the next steps. We’re bidding on the draft I think for 2020 and 2021 to be in Detroit.”
It’s been almost 12 years since Detroit last hosted a Super Bowl. At the time, Ford Field was only four years old. Since last season, the Lions have spent north of $100 million on renovations hoping to freshen up Ford Field.
Among other things, the Lions added new video boards and upgraded the wifi. Wood has said in the past that in terms of potential sites for a live NFL Draft, places in downtown Detroit like the Fox Theatre, Campus Martius, and the riverfront, in addition to Ford Field, would serve as suitable venues.
The sites for the Super Bowl are etched in stone through 2022, beginning with Minneapolis this winter. The league will decide in October which cities can formally bid to host the Super Bowl.
The draft meanwhile has been pretty flexible since becoming mobile in recent years.
“You can’t win if you don’t try so we’re going to try and bring one or both to the city. I think it will be great,” Wood said. “I’m anxious to show the commissioner tonight some of the things we’ve done to the stadium to kind of keep us in the mix of being considered.”
As good as it would be for the Lions organization to host the NFL Draft and/or the Super Bowl, it would be even better for the city of Detroit. Hosting such an event is typically a huge boost to the local economy. Hopefully, the NFL will allow the Lions to host at least one of these events.
