A lease between Saints ownership and Louisiana needs to be signed.
New Orleans will not be hosting the 2031 Super Bowl because the owner of the National Football League’s New Orleans Saints franchise, Gayle Benson, and the state of Louisiana have not yet signed off on a new Superdome lease agreement. The present lease ends after the 2030 season and it makes no sense for the NFL to grant Benson the Super Bowl if she doesn’t have a lease beyond 2030. The Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District wants a deal done as soon as possible. Louisiana will have another negotiation with Benson once the Saints-Louisiana deal is signed. Benson owns the National Basketball Association’s New Orleans Pelicans franchise. The state and Benson have been busy with the Superdome lease but there is a time factor with Benson’s other local sports business. Benson’s Pelicans lease with Louisiana ends after the 2029 season.
The problem with the arena? It is a 26-year-old arena and is considered antiquated. The venue has problems with the number of lower bowl seats and the actual size of the building. The arena survived Hurricane Katrina in 2005 in good condition. There was a renovation of the building in 2014. Through various incarnations of the leases between the owners of the Hornets-Pelicans franchise, there have been times when Louisiana has paid the owner of the franchise money to stay in town. A state of Louisiana assessment of the building pointed out high and medium priority items that need attention. The problems identified in a report concluded the venue needs new seating, upgraded lighting, a modern center-hung scoreboard, new video screens, and upgraded concession stands. Pelicans ownership operates in a very small market with very limited corporate support in a tiny TV market and is not affluent. New Orleans is a tourist driven market. Benson holds the key that will determine New Orleans’ sports future.
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