The NFL’s Pro Bowl could be bound for Orlando as early as next year.
Florida Citrus Sports officials confirmed Tuesday that they have submitted a proposal that would bring the game to Central Florida not just in 2017 but for the next three years.
“We’ve been very aggressively trying to showcase Orlando,” said Steve Hogan, Florida Citrus Sports CEO. “We believe it is the best city to host the Pro Bowl, and the NFL has given us the opportunity to pitch our city. We hope when all is said and done, we’re going to be hosting the game.”
Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs said she was very supportive of the proposal, predicated on freeing up Tourist Development Tax dollars to help secure the bid, which would include hosting fees. Any assistance in the form of tourist taxes would require an amendment to the spending plan for money raised by the 6 percent levy added to hotel rooms.
Jacobs told the Orlando Sentinel on Tuesday that she is willing to hold a special meeting of the Tourist Development Council to consider tweaking the TDT spending plan. Jacobs serves as the head of the public board, whose members also include Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Maitland Mayor Dale McDonald, Walt Disney Company executive Claire Bilby and five other business leaders.
“We’ve been in discussions with leaders from Citrus Sports about the possibility of hosting the NFL Pro Bowl at the Citrus Bowl,” Jacobs said in a statement. “Currently we’re refining the process for evaluating the use of TDT funds for such events. I am confident that once that effort is concluded, we will be able to compete to bring this marquee event to our community.”
For the 2017 game, the NFL is reportedly seeking $2.5 million from Florida Citrus Sports’ bid, which would be paid using various local funds. The numbers would be negotiable the second and third years of the game.
League spokesman Brian McCarthy told the Associated Press in an email that multiple cities are interested in hosting the Pro Bowl. They include Houston; Sydney, Australia; and Honolulu, Hawaii, which has been the traditional site for the game. The Honolulu Star Advertiser reported earlier this month that Hawaii has a deal in place to host the 2017 game, but either the NFL or the city can opt out of that deal before May 31.
Hogan said there is no timetable for a decision by the NFL, although in an email he sent to local business leaders, Hogan indicates that a decision could come within a week or two. “That is outside our control,” Hogan said. “We continue to be very communicative. All we’ve attempted to do is continue to sell and showcase and provide information for Orlando to host.”
The Citrus Bowl went through a $207 million makeover that began in January 2014. It has provided strong results, from Major League Soccer home games for the Orlando City Lions, a sold-out Rolling Stones concert last year, to securing the bid to host WrestleMania 33 in 2017.
“Yes there are conversations about relocating the Pro Bowl to Orlando and we are extremely supportive of that,” Dyer said. “That is exactly why we felt it was important to rebuild the Citrus Bowl, and why we think we are one of the best sporting destinations in the country.”
The game — a laid-back affair featuring all-stars from the NFL’s American and National conferences — has been staged in Honolulu for most of the last 36 years.
Although many recognizable players are in the mix, the timing of the Pro Bowl is always challenging. This year, it was played a week before the Super Bowl, taking out representatives from the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers. In addition, a number of players opt out because they are over the grind of a long season.
Still, it’s a fun, high-scoring affair. Team Irvin, coached by former Dallas Cowboys star Michael Irvin, beat Team Rice, coached by former San Francisco 49ers star Jerry Rice, 49-27, this season.
“We hope the timing lines up,” Hogan said. “Sure the NFL can go to any number of cities. But we will continue to push Orlando as the right answer.”