CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) -
Charlotte has a ways to go before it can compete for the Super Bowl.
The Commissioner of the National Football League, Roger Goodell, told a delegation from Charlotte that the city needs more hotel rooms and an up-to-date stadium.
Some city leaders and business officials were in New York City on a 3-day inter city visit. Thursday morning they met with Commissioner Goodell.
Bob Morgan, the President of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, was part of the group who heard from Goodell.
Morgan says Goodell told them "in Indianapolis last year there were 75,000 people who attended the Super Bowl game but at least another 75,000 people who were there as visitors. So you need to be able to handle 150,000 people from an infrastructure perspective".
Muhammad Jenatian of the Greater Charlotte Hospitality and Tourism Alliance was in the delegation He says the "Super Bowl is not available till a few years down the road. Fortunately business has been good. A lot of hotels are being planned. Business is growing. We're going to have a lot more".
Goodell also told the group that there's competition to keep facilities up to date, and state of the art. The Commissioner says "the stadium is the stage from which the NFL presents its product to the public.
Morgan says "Bank of America Stadium - as good as it is - is 20 years old and the question of upgrading it is very relevant to the question of our competitiveness of a Super Bowl going forward".
The Charlotte delegation toured MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands - where the New York Giants, and Jets play - to see what a modern facility looks like. Goodell told the group that NFL stadiums have to compete with the experience fans have of watching the game at home.
Morgan says modern facilities have "high definition televisions and video boards. A common part of the stadium infrastructure now is escalators to get fans up into the stadium".
Commissioner Goodell says fans at stadiums also want to be able to stay connected to their mobile devices so during the game they can download information and follow other teams.
Morgan says Goodell also talked about the financing of new stadiums and renovations to existing facilities.
Morgan says Goodell told the group "these things don't happen without public and private partnership. The teams benefits. The public benefits".
The Panthers are currently studying what upgrades the facility needs. The organization has not requested any public assistance. Mayor Anthony Foxx extended an invitation to the team's ownership to make a presentation to the City Council.
Some council members made the trip to New York and was on the tour of Metlife Stadium. Now that they've seen a state of the art facility, will they be willing to give tax payers money to help pay for renovations to Bank of America stadium - if the Panthers ask?
Council Member John Autry says "until we know what's involved - which is apparently not going to be before the end of the year - I'm going to reserve judgement until I hear what they want to do".
Council Member Michael Barnes says he has not committed to anything yet.
"There has to be a fairly broad analysis about whether other options have been explored, and what extent of public involvement could and should be", says Barnes.
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