2013 Super Bowl Site, Longer Season On Docket

BARRY WILNER

New Orleans could get back in the Super Bowl rotation this week.

NFL owners will award the 2013 Super Bowl to either New Orleans, Glendale, Ariz., or South Florida -- where their spring meetings will take place in Fort Lauderdale.

And while nothing as definitive as selecting a Super Bowl site is expected, the owners could vote on a proposal to expand the regular season to 17 or 18 games, with a reduction in the preseason that would keep the overall total, minus playoffs, at 20 matches.

The Super Bowl has been staged in New Orleans nine times, tied with Miami for the most years hosting the big game. Miami will break that tie in February.

But bringing the Super Bowl back to the bayou for the first time since 2002 not only would be a boon to the Louisiana city, but would display the NFL's satisfaction with how New Orleans has recovered as a sports city from Hurricane Katrina.

"We know that it's not a given that it's going to be awarded to New Orleans and we really want to make the impression on them that we have a strong desire to host this again for a perfect 10th time," said Jay Cicero, the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation's president.