Mardi Gras Could Force the 2024 Super Bowl Out of New Orleans

Despite being years away, there could be significant developments on where the 2024 Super Bowl will be taking place. New Orleans was set to host the NFL's biggest game for an 11th time after winning the bid to host back in 2018; however a conflict with none other than Mardi Gras could derail plans for the big game in the Big Easy.

Ironic, eh?

Every year, Mardi Gras always falls on the Tuesday 47 days before Easter. In 2024, the Mardi Gras celebration is scheduled for February 13, which could cause serious conflict for the NFL. With the addition of another regular season game to its schedule starting in 2021, the season will soon be pushed back further in to February, causing an issue that the city has never had to deal with before when hosting the Super Bowl.

Should the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras fall within the same week, the city may not be able to handle the massive influx of people wishing to travel from all over the world for the bacchanal. New Orleans would almost certainly prioritize putting on Mardi Gras over hosting a Super Bowl based on its culture and history, but nobody wants to be forced to make such a difficult decision.

It would mean a massive financial hit to the city if the Super Bowl rights have to be forfeited. The NFL's championship spectacle is the single biggest event on the American sporting calendar, and is a huge boost for local businesses. Losing such a significant amount of revenue would not be an ideal scenario, especially given the losses currently being inflicted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Nothing is set in stone yet, and the NFL is reportedly in talks to try and keep the Super Bowl in New Orleans through creative means. However, the league may end up being left with no choice to move the game; in that case, a city like Las Vegas could swoop in on a golden opportunity to host the biggest game in football. Stay tuned.