METAIRIE, La. — Mark Romig, senior VP & chief marketing officer of New Orleans & Company, has his iPhone countdown clock set for a specific Sunday afternoon in February.
“Right now, it’s five months, five days, and a few hours until the 5:35 p.m. kickoff on February 9,” he joked at the Super Bowl LIX Host Committee press conference on Sept. 3.
Romig was joined on stage by analyst and sideline reporter Jen Hale, Saints defensive end Cam Jordan, Saints linebacker Demario Davis and Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu. They discussed how the upcoming Super Bowl, which will attract over 6,000 credentialed media to the city, is poised to shape New Orleans’ future.
Jay Cicero, president and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, compared the potential economic impact of Super Bowl LIX to that of the last time the city hosted the event 11 years ago. “Mrs. [Gayle] Benson led the 2018 bid to bring the Super Bowl back to New Orleans to highlight the area’s economic potential,” Cicero said. He and the other panelists emphasized that the Super Bowl is a premier event for boosting local and state revenues. The last game generated $480 million and supported nonprofits focused on youth advocacy, STEM education and coastal restoration. They believe Super Bowl LIX will elevate and energize the community like never before.
Cicero highlighted the new Super Bowl LIX Source program, which gives selected local businesses insight into event expectations and opportunities to connect with the NFL Host Committee and partners. “Over 200 under-represented local businesses will have the chance to bid and gain exposure,” he said. He also mentioned the success of Impact 59, a partnership with Entergy Charitable Foundation, United Way of Southeast Louisiana and Ochsner Health. This initiative aims to distribute at least $3 million in grants to local nonprofits.
Jen Hale, who has worked with the NFL for 14 years, noted that while New Orleans has a storied past, its future is just as promising. “Where we are going is just as important as where we’ve been,” she said. Hale shared a personal anecdote about how the city supported her during difficult times, saying she found “30 families” who helped her through her loss.
Saints players Jordan, Davis, and Mathieu echoed Hale’s sentiments about community. Jordan, invoking an Al Pacino-like moment from “Any Given Sunday,” said, “Football is more than a game; it’s the greatest teacher of life. It teaches unity and resilience. We aim to ensure we’re on the field on February 9, and we don’t take that lightly.”
Tyrann Mathieu, a New Orleans native and Saint Augustine graduate who has been nominated for the Heisman Trophy and previously played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals, thanked the city for welcoming him back home. “I used to live out of a backpack,” he said. He spoke about how seeing local kids grow up motivates him and noted that community involvement is more pronounced here than on other teams he’s been with. “I wouldn’t want to win a Super Bowl with the Patriots or Kansas City,” said Davis, emphasizing the importance of experiencing a Super Bowl win in New Orleans.
Together, the group expressed excitement about showcasing New Orleans’ renowned Southern hospitality and believed the Super Bowl would provide an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate the city’s greatness to the rest of the country.
