City and host committee set budget for Super Bowl LII

Months of planning between the City of Minneapolis and the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee has led to an agreement covering the costs of city services related to Super Bowl LII.

The $4.9 million agreement includes more than $3 million for public safety costs, and another $749,000 related to public works. The Host Committee has agreed to pay the city in three installments, with the final one expected in mid-January.

“The budget you’re going to see reflects the scale and nature of the Super Bowl, because it asks for more than what city budgets are able to support,” said Pat Born, a consultant for large events for the City of Minneapolis.

The City Council’s Ways and Means Committee approved the agreement, clearing the way for consideration by the full council as soon as Friday.

“I just think it was a good move, a smart move to make sure that we were able to have staff and contract staff work through the intricacies of such a complicated arrangement with a very large entity,” said Elizabeth Glidden, Council Member for Ward 8.

The projection is in line with the roughly $5.5 million in estimated spending by the City of Houston related to Super Bowl LI. While Super Bowl 50 was not played in San Francisco, the city hosted several major events. A city report estimated the city spent $9 million, but received $11 million in revenue directly related to the events.

“Every market is different, every event is different, but everything builds on each other,” said Andrea Mokros, Vice-President of Communications for the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee. “And I think this is another step forward between a privately funded host committee and the public entities involved and it takes everyone involved to make the event a success.”

The agreement covers the projected costs for law enforcement, which would include other agencies in the region and from other parts of the country. The agreement also provides flexibility for unforeseen costs to be covered.

The Host Committee has also agreed to purchase police liability insurance for law enforcement officers, including those utilized from outside agencies during the Super Bowl.