Indy vying for 2018 Super Bowl bid

Following an economically successful debut as a Super Bowl host city, the city of Indianapolis will pursue a bid for the 2018 Super Bowl, Mayor Greg Ballard announced Wednesday.  

“By every measure, Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis was a phenomenal success,” Ballard said in a release. “The reviews and the economics are all in, and so today I am announcing that it is our intention to pursue hosting the Super Bowl in 2018, and that we are looking to Allison Melangton to coordinate our community’s efforts toward Super Bowl LII.”

The economic impact study on Super Bowl XLVI, conducted by Rockport Analytics, concluded that the Indianapolis metro area experienced a significant economic uptick as a result of the 10 days of visitor activity.

According to the report, total gross expenditures reached $384 million, resulting in a direct economic impact of $176 million.

Super Bowl XLVI attracted 116,000 visitors from more than 50 miles outside the city, leading to an estimated $342 million of spending that originated from beyond the Indianapolis metro area.

All in all, about 84 cents of every dollar spent for Super Bowl XLVI was retained in Indianapolis, the report said.

“We’ve known since the game on Feb. 5, when the Super Bowl was played in Lucas Oil Stadium, that Super Bowl XLVI was an aesthetic success with profound impact on our city, region and state,” said Mark Miles, chair of the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee. “The independent economic impact study being released today confirms that hosting the Super Bowl in Indianapolis also was an important economic success.”

Gov. Mitch Daniels said Indianapolis hosting the Super Bowl in 2012 was beneficial to the entire state of Indiana, not just the capital.

“In addition to a huge win for the city, the citizens of Indiana benefited by more than $20 million collected in state tax revenue, a host of good business leads and a huge dose of pride in the positive way it reflected on our whole state,” Daniels said.

— Joe Popely