Minnesota failed in its bid to host the College Football Playoff championship game following the 2016 season. The state, though, is hoping for a little more success a couple of years down the road.
Tuesday afternoon, Governor Mark Dayton presided over a press conference in which his state, after speculation surfaced a couple of months ago, announced its intentions to bid for the rights to host the national championship game following the 2019 season. Gopher head coach Jerry Kill will serve as the honorary co-chair of the national championship game bid committee.
The game would be played in the new home of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, a domed structure that is currently under construction. That stadium, set to open next year, is already scheduled to host the 2018 Super Bowl and the 2019 men’s basketball Final Four.
Coach Kill at the podium helping launch the bid to host the CFP National Championship Game. #Gophers pic.twitter.com/F04lJjWIb8
— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) May 5, 2015
The first CFP championship game was held this past February at the home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Tex. The cities of Tampa, Fla., and Glendale, Ariz., will host the title games following the 2015 and 2016 seasons, respectively.
Bids for the title games following the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons are due by no later than May 27. In addition to Minneapolis, other cities expected to place bids for at least one of those three games include Atlanta, Charlotte, Jacksonville, South Florida, Minneapolis, San Antonio and Santa Clara. Arlington, Houston, New Orleans, Orlando and Pasadena that could potentially make a formal bid, while the state of New Jersey has also expressed an interest.
Earlier this month, the city of Indianapolis announced it would not be seeking to place a formal bid on either of the three games. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena made a similar announcement a week earlier.
(Photo credit: city of Minneapolis)