The National Football League said today that the date of 50th anniversary Super Bowl at the planned Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara is Feb. 7, 2016, Santa Clara city officials said.
Santa Clara Mayor Jamie Matthews hailed the announcement of the exact date of the Super Bowl L championship game, which the league’s owners awarded to the city’s $1.2 billion stadium project last May 21.
“Santa Clara is proud to host the Super Bowl’s golden anniversary game in the Golden State,” Matthews said in a statement.
“Around the world, all eyes will be focused on our city and the Bay Area on February 7, 2016, so we are excited to showcase our region’s beauty, culture and innovative spirit,” Matthews said.
Last year, Matthews said it is estimated that a Super Bowl brings between $300 and $500 million in economic benefits to the surrounding region.
Levi’s Stadium, still under construction, is to open Aug. 2 and serve as the new home field this fall for the San Francisco 49ers, which ended its last season at Candlestick Park in San Francisco last December.
Steve Van Dorn, president and chief executive officer of the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau, said in the statement that the city is “looking forward to game day and having a global spotlight on Santa Clara and our beautiful new stadium.”
“We expect our Santa Clara businesses, including hotels, restaurants, and shops to be overflowing Super Bowl week,” Van Dorn said.
According to the city, there also will be a weeklong series of public events and celebrations leading up to the Super Bowl in San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area.
The Super Bowl is the most-watched television program each year in the United States, with an average audience of more than 100 million viewers.
The game’s logistics and events for the Super Bowl are being planned by the San Francisco Bay Area Super Bowl Host Committee, which includes public officials from the Bay area and the NFL, according to the city.
Jeff Burbank, Bay City News
