Atlanta on tap for 2028 Super Bowl

NFL leaders intend to award Super Bowl LXII in 2028 to Atlanta when owners meet next month in that city, sources say, giving Mercedes-Benz Stadium its second big game in nine years. The decision is subject to input and approval by the full group of owners, but sources say execs and key owners on the NFL Fan Engagement & Major Events Committee want to make Atlanta happen.

In one sense, the decision is not a surprise. Falcons owner Arthur Blank, well liked among his peers and Commissioner Roger Goodell, has been public about his desire to host another Super Bowl after last hosting in 2019.

Despite an underwhelming game, that week earned good reviews from the assembled sports industry. The city is walkable, with ample hotel and hospitality inventory. By 2028, three major hotels and the Centennial Yards mixed-use development — none of which was there in 2019 — will have been completed in the immediate vicinity of the stadium. It is a proven host to major events, such as the annual SEC Football Championship and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. The city also recently won the 2031 NCAA Men’s Final Four. 

For all its considerable strengths, Atlanta is not necessarily an obvious choice. It’s far enough north that winter weather can be a concern — ice storms were a problem at the 2000 game there — and its desirability as a glamour destination is a step down from classic hosts such as Miami, L.A., New Orleans and now Las Vegas.

The Falcons and the NFL declined to comment. The upcoming Super Bowls already awarded to host cities will be in New Orleans (2025), Santa Clara (2026) and L.A. (2027).