Leading up to the team's preseason home opener on Sunday, Aug. 25, the New Orleans Saints will be unveiling the final updates of the Caesars Superdome's dynamic $560 million transformation, strategically aimed at enhancing the facility's fan experience. The team has proudly committed nearly $180 million toward the $560 million project. The collaborative project funded by the New Orleans Saints, Louisiana Stadium & Exposition District (LSED), and the State of Louisiana has progressed over a five-year period through the work of a team of architects, contractors, designers and construction workers operating around the clock in order to reach its completion by the start of the 2024 Saints season. Saints season ticketholders and their guests will be the first to experience the remarkable evolution of the facility prior to the building hosting the National Football League's showcase event, Super Bowl LIX, on Feb., 9, 2025, the year which will also be the 50th anniversary of the stadium.
The purpose of the Caesars Superdome transformation project is to preserve the character of the building's iconic exterior, while elevating its overall functionality and the gameday experience for all guests. These modernizations bring the facility in line with stadiums being built and renovated across the world, thus keeping the storied home of the Saints and the city of New Orleans as ideal hosts for the upcoming and future Super Bowls, as well as numerous national and international events for decades to come. Equally as important, the Caesars Superdome will continue to serve as a source of great civic pride while providing a significant economic impact for the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana.
Super Bowls make the Caesars Superdome special
As part of the Caesars Superdome's dynamic $560 million transformation to be completed for the 2024 Saints season, fans will be able to be a part of the unveiling of enhanced facility prior to it hosting the NFL's signature event, Super Bowl LIX, to be played on Feb. 9, 2025.
"The Super Bowl bidding process has become more and more competitive over the past two decades, with more and more cities involved," Saints President Dennis Lauscha said. "With Super Bowl LIX coming up, we have a unique opportunity to showcase our community to the entire world. The transformation of the Caesars Superdome allows us to combine a state-of-the-art facility with the features of the rest of the city to be an attractive candidate to be awarded Super Bowl LIV and future Super Bowls."
New Orleans and Caesars Superdome a leader for Super Bowls
When the City of New Orleans hosts Super Bowl LIX in a transformed Caesars Superdome on Feb. 9, 2025, it will mark the 11th time that the Crescent City has hosted the NFL's championship contest, tied with the Miami/South Florida region for the most in league history. It will be the eighth time the iconic facility hosts this marquee event, extending its record as the stadium to host the most Super Bowls.
An economic driver
Hosting Super Bowls provides a massive economic and community impact to a region, bringing significant spending and income to local businesses, along with the massive exposure provided and charitable contributions made by the National Football League during a Super Bowl week that extends for generations. In 2013, the economic impact of Super Bowl XLVII and its adjoining events, resulted in a $480 million economic impact for the greater New Orleans region. The last two Super Bowls played in Las Vegas and Phoenix have generated over $1 billion each in economic activity for the respective regions.
In support of Super Bowl cities, millions of dollars in grants are also awarded to deserving local nonprofits in the host communities, with the region also hosting numerous community service projects throughout the week. Through Impact 59 powered by Entergy, a collaboration between the Super Bowl Host Committee, the Saints, the NFL Foundation, the Entergy Charitable Foundation, Ochsner Health, the United Way of Southeast Louisiana and the NOLA Coalition, over $3 million in impactful grants will be awarded to deserving local nonprofit organizations.
In order to prepare for the arrival of Super Bowl LIX and its economic and community impact, the state of Louisiana and city of New Orleans have teamed up for over 500 infrastructure projects that will benefit local residents and the regional economy for years to come.
Playing host to Iconic sporting moments
The 10 Super Bowls played in New Orleans have provided some of the NFL's most iconic moments, as well as proving to be an economic and infrastructure driver for the Gulf South region.
The Crescent City took over the NFL's worldwide spotlight for the first time on Jan. 11, 1970, when the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Minnesota Vikings 23-7 at Tulane Stadium in Super Bowl IV. The coldest Super Bowl outdoors took place in Super Bowl VI, a 24-3 Dallas Cowboys win over the Miami Dolphins on Jan. 16, 1972, with a starting game temperature of 39 degrees and a high of only 43. The Pittsburgh Steelers dynasty saw its start in the final NFL game played at Tulane Stadium, a 16-6 victory over the Vikings in Super Bowl IX on Jan. 12, 1975. With the Super Bowl making its Superdome debut, the Cowboys won their second overall, with a 27-10 win over the Denver Broncos on Jan. 15, 1978.
In 1985, Tom Benson purchased the New Orleans Saints and became New Orleans' biggest benefactor for Super Bowls, with five taking place in the Caesars Superdome under his watch. The first took place on Jan. 26, 1986, when the Chicago Bears demolished the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX. South Mississippi native Brett Favre led the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl XXXI victory over the Patriots at the Superdome on Jan. 26, 1997.
In the 2001 season, following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the NFL postponed a week of regular season games and moved the league's playoff schedule back. As a result, Super Bowl XXXVI was rescheduled from the original date of Jan. 27 to Feb. 3, becoming the first Super Bowl played in February, but also creating a scheduling conflict in the city with the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention. Mr. Benson, who was one of the nation's most prominent automotive dealers, convinced the NADA to move their convention. Before a charged in-stadium and massive worldwide television audience, the pregame ceremonies and a spectacular halftime show headlined by U2, honored the victims of 9/11, New Orleans hosted a 20-17 victory by the New England Patriots over the St. Louis Rams in a thrilling contest decided by a game-winning field goal as time expired.
New Orleans, the Saints organization and Mr. Benson would overcome another large challenge, when Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Superdome and the Gulf South region on Aug. 29, 2005. With the entire region, Mr. Benson and the Saints organization coming together for a comprehensive rebuilding process, the city scored a major victory on May 19, 2009, not even four years after the devastation of the storm, when New Orleans was awarded Super Bowl XLVII following the 2012 season.
Having succeeded Mr. Benson as owner following his death on March 15, 2018, just over two months later, Mrs. Benson led a New Orleans contingent to receive unanimous approval for the city to be awarded their 11th Super Bowl, to be played on Feb 9, 2025 in a transformed Caesars Superdome.
Not only does a transformed, state-of-the-art Caesars Superdome keep New Orleans in the rotation to acquire future Super Bowls, it also serves as an economic driver for additional championship-level sporting events, including the Allstate Sugar Bowl, which hosts College Football Playoff and Championship games regularly and the NCAA Men's Final Four basketball championships, which have taken place in the facility six times, with New Orleans a finalist for the 2031 event.
