New Orleans Saints Close to Deal to Remain in Long-Time Home

When you were in elementary school and began learning about the history of the United States of America, you were certainly shown images to identify the uniqueness of our country. Those pictures probably featured landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, and the Empire State Building. These structures are each unique because of their design, background, and continuing to exist to be preserved after decades of America’s existence. The same can be applied to professional sports teams and the stadiums in which they call home.” In particular, the Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints, is easily identifiable as one of the symbols synonymous with the National Football League. Recently, their relocation to a different city and a new arena was a possibility. However, as of this week, a deal has been reached to keep the Saints in the dome.

This new long-term lease of the Caesars Superdome will keep the team in New Orleans for at least another decade. After more than a year of negotiating between the Saints and the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District, the Saints hope to get the lease signed by September 17th to potentially allow New Orleans to host the 2031 Super Bowl. This 10-year deal also contains a series of four, five-year extensions at the team’s option. If all of the extensions are exercised, the Saints will remain in the Superdome through at least 2055, which will be 80 years after the structure’s completion. To prevent relocation, the lease also includes a penalty to discourage any future owner from moving the team to another city willing to construct a new facility for the Saints. The deal also includes other important provisions such as the Saints’ share of revenues from stadium concessions on game days, terms of the state lease for offices at Benson Tower, and other future and to-be-determined revenue streams and costs.

This is an incredible “win” for the Saints team, fans of the Saints, and the city of New Orleans. The Superdome will continue to be regarded as a reliable location for football games for the next decade. Investing in this “landmark” will likely result in more events aside from football taking place, which will continue to bring revenue to the city of New Orleans. The NFL will continue to have the dome as an optional location to play important games and host the Super Bowl. The Superdome will also remain among the essential landmarks of those interested in the history of football and the United States of America.