NFL fans heading to Phoenix for Super Bowl LVII are going to have to pay a pretty penny — and that’s not just for tickets to the Big Game.

For two tickets to see the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs, plus airfare, two nights’ stay, parking/ride service, two hot dogs, and two beers, one report indicates that two adults can expect to spend on average nearly $18,100. Fans traveling from Kansas City projected to spend more than $18,700.

When Glendale, Arizona hosted the Super Bowl in 2015, Phoenix hotels recorded occupancies of 95% with average daily rates at $361, according to STR — but room rates have increased 36% since.

• The Super 8 hotel 15 minutes from State Farm Stadium is asking $450 per night — triple its normal price. Before Sunday’s championship wins, the hotel was already 50% booked, according to Bloomberg.
• The demand for hotel rooms in the area may be higher this year, too. The PGA Tour’s WM Phoenix Open takes place the same weekend.

Average prices for domestic flights are also up 17% year-over-year, according to Hayley Berg, lead economist at Hopper.

Super Stay

The Phoenix area has seen 48% more nights booked for vacation home rentals compared to the same weekend last year, per AirDNA, and the average rental on Feb. 12 is up 83% year-over-year to $747.

Vacation rental companies like Vrbo are taking extra steps to limit major Super Bowl parties, like tracking the length of stay and number of guests.

St. Petersburg’s mayor endorsed the Tampa Bay Rays’ proposal for a new ballpark — but that doesn’t mean it’s a done deal.

Mayor Ken Welch chose a design from the MLB team and development firm Hines out of four options presented to the city, but significant hurdles remain before the team and city commit to a new ballpark.

• “We made it to the starting line, but we have a long race ahead of us,” said Rays president Brian Auld.
• Auld added, “There’s a lot that still needs to go right to get a shovel in the ground,” citing tax agreements with the city, city council approval, a financing plan with the county, and adjustments based on feedback. 
• The Rays also remain in talks with Tampa, should their negotiations with St. Petersburg break down.

Gas Plant Goals

The team proposed a fixed-roof, 30,000-seat stadium open year-round for events on days when no game was being played.

Auld said that the Rays “wanted to give [Mayor Welch] a solution that could help solve the future of baseball while also hitting his outspoken desire for an inclusive and equitable process.” 

The proposed development would be in the Gas Plant district, an area from which hundreds of Black residents were forced to move out to accommodate the city’s desire to build a stadium to attract an MLB team.

The plan calls for 5,700 multifamily units, including 850 affordable and workforce units, an entertainment venue, office buildings for sports science and life science research, and retail space.

The Big Ten’s two flagship athletic programs are driving profits for their universities. 

The University of Michigan athletics department reported a $17.1 million surplus for FY2022 behind $210.6 million in operating revenue — a record for the school’s athletic programs. 

Rival Ohio State University saw its athletic department generate a record $251.6 million in revenue between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, up from $107 million for the fiscal year prior. 

• Michigan’s surplus marked its largest since 2012. 
• Ticket sales drove profits with $55.2 million sold — $47.5 million from football alone. 
• The Wolverines pocketed another $46.9 million from media rights deals. 
• Ohio State saw ticket sales reach $59.6 million in FY2022 — $47 million from football. 
• Media rights revenue for the Buckeyes reached $48.9 million, up from $40.5 million in FY2021.

The favorable results for the two schools also included contributions from donors, foundations, and companies. Michigan reported that it received $43.5 million worth of donations in FY2022 — a $13 million increase year-over-year — while Ohio State reported $62.9 million in revenue from individuals, foundations, and companies, up from $19.7 million in FY2021.  

Big Things to Come 

Michigan, Ohio State, and other Big Ten schools are poised for big paydays following a blockbuster media rights deal. 

In August 2022, the Big Ten finalized media rights deals with FOX, CBS, and NBC/Peacock worth at least $7 billion in total, sources told Front Office Sports.

The deals, which include football and all Olympic sports, will run from 2023-30.

Cricket fans are seeing positive signs that the sport will be included in the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Jay Shah, India’s secretary of its Board of Control for Cricket and president of the Asian Cricket Council, has been appointed to the International Cricket Council’s working group, a sign that some of the major forces in global cricket are throwing their heft behind an Olympic bid.

• The ICC is working to get T20, a shorter variant of cricket, into the Summer Games in Los Angeles. The proposal calls for six men’s and six women’s teams to compete.
• Despite previous indications that cricket was out of the running, those close to the bid are reportedly expressing optimism.
• Shah’s appointment is believed to signal the support of India, which has been lacking in other cricket Olympic bids.

Should T20 make it into the 2028 Games, it will be played nearby a planned Major League Cricket stadium in Orange County. Owners of the Indian Premier League’s Kolkata Knight Riders invested $30 million in the project.

Breaking It Down

The International Olympic Committee has already approved surfing, skateboarding, and sport climbing for the Los Angeles Games. 

In addition to cricket, eight other sports are seeking inclusion: motorsport, karate, baseball/softball, lacrosse, kickboxing, squash, flag football, and the competitive breakdancing competition known as breaking. Obstacle discipline is nearing inclusion as part of the modern pentathlon.