Santa Clara, Calif., competes with Miami for 2016 Super Bowl
A stadium that is still under construction is one of two finalists to play host to the 50th Super Bowl.
The San Francisco 49ers' new facility in Santa Clara, Calif., will compete with Sun Life Stadium near Miami for the 2016 Super Bowl. The loser of that bid will compete with Reliant Stadium in Houston for the 2017 Super Bowl.
The 49ers' inclusion is a nod to the team's efforts to find a replacement for aging Candlestick Park.
"We've been working for a long time to get a new stadium built in California," commissioner Roger Goodell said, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
Jed York, chief executive officer of the 49ers, said in a statement, "Nothing brings a region together like a Super Bowl. Now we have to work together to show the new stadium in Santa Clara will put on a great show."
Construction in Santa Clara began in April, and the stadium is due to open for the 49ers' 2014 season. The Mercury News reported that San Francisco would be the host of most of the Super Bowl week activities, should the 49ers win a Super Bowl bid, even though the game would be played 45 miles southeast, near San Jose.
The San Francisco Bay Area played host to one previous Super Bowl. The 1985 game was played at Stanford Stadium, with the 49ers defeating the Miami Dolphins 38-16 in what practically amounted to a home game.
The next three Super Bowls, in order, will be played in New Orleans; East Rutherford, N.J.; and Glendale, Ariz.
The site for Super Bowl L and Super Bowl LI will be selected in May.
