When construction of the Louisiana Superdome missed its 1972 completion deadline by three years, it caused Super Bowl IX to be held in a cold and rainy Tulane Stadium in January 1975. During a break in play, broadcast cameras aimed down Claiborne Avenue showing the unfinished stadium, and the analysts covering the game called the unfinished building a “white elephant.”
It has turned out to be anything but.
According to GNO, Inc., President and CEO Michael Hecht, the Superdome contributes close to $600 million in annual economic impact to the state of Louisiana, as monied attendees fill hotel rooms, restaurants and shops for several days before many events. When a major championship like the Super Bowl comes to town, those figures can nearly double. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported that Super Bowl LVIII, held in February 2024, brought at least $500 million to the Las Vegas metro area, including $70 million in local and state tax revenue.
For 49 years, the Superdome has been home to the New Orleans Saints and has regularly played host to high-profile events, including not only the Super Bowl, but the College Football Playoffs and Championship, NCAA Final Four, the Sugar Bowl, Bayou Classic, New Orleans Bowl and many more. These events have not only generated millions of dollars that directly impact the local economy, but billions in added value through the multi-day, round-the-clock global media coverage and national broadcasts that accompany them.
Several multi-million-dollar renovations over the last 20 years have not only extended the life of the building but kept the Dome competitive with, and, in some cases, standing longer than newer stadiums.
The latest refurbishment, focused on improving the fan experience, is a $535-million endeavor that started in 2020. This latest iteration of the city’s famous landmark will be on full display as New Orleans takes centerstage as host of Super Bowl LIX on February 9, 2025.
Football with a Catch
When the NFL awarded New Orleans a franchise on All Saints Day, Nov. 1, 1966, the deal came with an understanding that the new club would play indoors. Local businessman Dave Dixon, who worked nearly a decade of work to bring a professional football team to the city, worked with then-Gov. John McKeithen to endorse financing. A week after the Saints came into existence, bonds were passed for construction.
New Orleans architectural firm Curtis and Davis designed the dome in 1967 as a shell over a multi-sport facility with ground-level stands on rollers that could be configured for football, baseball, basketball and special events. Expected to open in 1972 at a cost of $46 million, construction did not begin until August 1971. The 1973 oil crisis, inflation and delays drove costs up to $165 million by the time it was completed in August 1975.
Call That a Bargain
The Superdome’s $165 million cost is considered an amazing bargain today, especially when accounting for the longevity and the exposure the Dome has provided to the city and state.
Only four of the NFL’s 32 stadiums are older than New Orleans’, and the three most recently built all cost between $1.6 billion and an estimated $5.5 billion (2020).
Considering the Superdome is in its 49th year and will continue to draw premier events well into the future, Jay Cicero, president and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, the organization whose mission is to attract and manage sporting events to the Greater New Orleans area, said the region got a fantastic deal with the Superdome.
“It’s hard to compare dollars, early ’70s to 2020s, but when you look at the facility that we have, the historic nature of it, and that it was built for the long run compared to facilities in other cities that have been constructed, torn down and replaced with a new facility maybe two or three times since 1975, it’s pretty amazing,” Cicero said. “I don’t know if there are enough superlatives for the Superdome when you consider the value and revenue it’s provided.”
Ravished & Reborn
What still stands as the largest fixed dome structure in the world was almost changed in the early 2000s, when the idea of a new retractable roof stadium to replace the Superdome was floated. At that time, the Saints compared modernizing the Superdome or building a new retractable roof stadium on the banks of the Mississippi River or possibly on the North Shore to attract a more regional fanbase.
Those plans were put to rest on Aug. 29, 2005, when Hurricane Katrina ravished the Gulf Coast and inundated New Orleans, flooding nearly 80% of the city. The storm’s winds ripped the Dome’s protective rubber-like shell from its roof, exposing the interior to the weather. Flood waters covered the field that just days before hosted a preseason game.
Images of the Superdome’s devastation became ubiquitous. Soon questions arose about its future, as well as those about the Saints, who were forced to relocate to San Antonio, Texas, for the 2005 season.
The nation, city, state and NFL worked alongside the Saints to return to the Superdome. FEMA provided $115 million, the state spent $13 million, the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District (Superdome Commission) refinanced bonds to generate $41 million, and the NFL gave $15 million toward a $185 million, fast-tracked repair and refurbishment.
Soon, the stadium’s recovery became a microcosm of the city’s rehabilitation, inspiring pride and hope.
“The rehab after Hurricane Katrina was basically to get the building back together,” said Dennis Lauscha, president of the Saints. “That was No. 1, bringing it back. Once that decision was made, the direction was set.”
The Superdome’s grand reopening was held on Sept. 25, 2006 — the home opener against the arch-rival Atlanta Falcons in a nationally televised game on ESPN’s Thursday Night Football. After the Falcons’ first possession, the Saints’ Steve Gleason blocked a punt that was recovered for a touchdown. ESPN’s announcers remained silent for more than two minutes as cameras panned around the Dome showing elated fans shrugging off misery of the storm and its aftermath and embracing the limelight of the comeback. With no question that the Saints would win that game, Atlanta succumbed 23-3.
Les bons temps were just getting started, however. Under first-year head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints went to their first NFC Championship in 2006. In 2009, they would reach the pinnacle, winning their first NFC Championship at home, followed by their first and only Super Bowl win in Miami on Feb. 7, 2010.
A State-of-the-Art Superdome
Following the post-Hurricane Katrina repairs, work continued to update the Dome. In 2008, windows were added to allow natural light inside, and the roof was replaced. Over the next two years, more than 400,000 square feet of exterior aluminum siding was replaced, giving the Superdome a champagne-colored exterior. Suites were modernized and a $600,000 point-of-sale system that allowed fans to make credit card purchases throughout the stadium was installed.
In 2011, the Plaza level was reconfigured to add 3,500 leather chairs with cup holders, create two 7,500-square-foot lounges, widen concourses, and add new restrooms and concession stands. These changes also ended the dome’s ability to convert to a baseball configuration.
In 2016, Panasonic HD LED displays that stretch 330 feet wide and 35 feet high were added above the Terrace level seating at both ends of the field and the interior lighting was upgraded to an LED system with programmable coloring, light show effects, and instant on-off, which allows for dynamic in-game entertainment.
The latest round of renovations began in January 2020. Over the last four years, a large kitchen and food-service area was built, the ramp system was removed and replaced with elevators and escalators, concourses were widened, and new bathrooms, walkways, entrances and exits were added, along with a Wi Fi system, standing room-only platforms, and field-level end zone boxes. Construction finished just before the kickoff of the 2024-25 football season.
“It’s amazing, and this really gets overlooked, that all these renovations happened without missing a football game or an Essence Festival,” Lauscha said. “We got it done on time and on budget.”
Improved Fan Experience
Superdome stakeholders said the most recent renovation was focused on providing the greatest fan experience possible.
“The removal of the ramps allowed us to open up the concourses, add more concessions and bathrooms, and make moving around the stadium easier, especially for our ADA customers,” Lauscha said. “We listened to the fans and vendors. They wanted easier entryways, open concourses, outside light, suites on the field, and more amenities on the Terrace level, so we added that. At one spot, you can literally look across the field through the new glass on the other side and see the buildings in Downtown New Orleans from the gate. It truly is a modern building now in every way. I think it’s spectacular.”
Jeff Hundley, the CEO of the Allstate Sugar Bowl, said the WiFi upgrade is something that will have tremendous impact.
“That’s super important with the way people utilize their phones,” he said. “For communication, for information, for the purchase process, that requires additional bandwidth. All those things add up to a positive experience.
“In the event business, fan experience is a No. 1 priority right now,” Hudley added. “It’s no longer enough to just have a good football game on the field. There are things going on all the time. We must give people reasons to want to be in the stadium because the television product has become so good.”
Expected ROI
Winning the rights to host Super Bowl LIX in February was just the first of what is expected to be many returns on the investment in the Superdome.
“This renovation allows the Superdome to be what it has for the last 50 years, a critical asset and economic generator,” said Evan Holmes, general manager of the Caesars Superdome. “It’s the home of the Saints, the Sugar Bowl, the Bayou Classic, Essence Fest, New Orleans Bowl, high school football, Endymion. Go down the list. These are legacy events that we’ve had for decades. A lot of these other facilities don’t have that roster, and they would kill to have that level of built-in annual events. That’s why we did this: It allows this building to be a more modern, higher functioning multipurpose facility to carry on all the things it has historically. This is a continuation of the success of this building.”
In July, The Times-Picayune writer Jeff Duncan reported the Saints are looking to extend their lease at the Dome, which runs through 2030, to 2035, and include multiple five-year options that could keep the team in New Orleans through 2055. If that happens, it is not unfathomable that the city could host multiple NFL championships in that time.
“I’ve been to every stadium in the NFL, and I’m biased, but after these renovations, I’d hold the Superdome up to any building in America, even globally,” Lauscha said. “It’s that good. I think it’s going to be spectacular for the Super Bowl, and it’s certainly in a position to host more Super Bowls.”
The Sugar Bowl is also excited about how the renovated Dome has positioned the Crescent City to compete in the rapidly evolving College Football Playoff landscape. The city will host a quarterfinal game this season and next and is vying to host a playoff game every year. The organization is also trying to bring future college football championship games to New Orleans.
Keeping Up With the Competition
Hundley noted the renovations were “paramount” as newer venues in cities that have not historically been part of the College Football Playoff are fighting to get the opportunity to host postseason games.
“Las Vegas has a new stadium. Nashville will have a new stadium,” he said. “It’s concerning because more and more people are seeing the value of being a part of the College Football Playoff — not just the quarterfinals and semifinals, but the national championship game. We’re well aware that the CFP has options. So, it was important for us to have a building that’s competitive, and I believe with this latest round of renovations we’re more than competitive. It’s very impressive. We’re as good, if not better than, anybody in the country when it comes to our facility. New Orleans is very much in the race, and we’re looking forward to the future.”
