By NICOLE D. MCCONNELL The New York PostNew York, NY (Reuters) – There will be more races this year, but not as many as last year, the owner of the New York Giants and the other owners of the NFL’s marquee game, the New England Patriots, said on Sunday.
The owners are scheduled to meet on Monday in New York to discuss the next round of Super Bowl bids, according to a statement by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
The Giants are not scheduled to return to New York until Feb. 7, 2017.
The Patriots are scheduled for Feb. 9, 2017 in London.
Goodell is not scheduled for New York.
The New York Times said on Saturday that the New Jersey state legislature is considering a bill that would require the NFL to allow localities to vote on the league’s decision to move the Superbowl to New Jersey, potentially before the 2020 game in the city that hosts the event.
In his statement, de Blasio said the NFL and the city should make a “fair and transparent” decision on the city’s proposal.
“We will not tolerate the NFL leaving New York without a clear plan for how this event will be held and how it will be marketed to New Yorkers,” de Blasio added.
The league did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Super Bowl is the most-watched sporting event on the planet and has been held in New England since 1950.
Last year, New York Mayor Bill De Blasio, a Democrat, introduced a bill to change the city into a host city for the 2024 Super Bowl.
That bill was rejected by the state legislature in November.
De Blasio and other Democrats have vowed to bring the event back to New England in 2020 if they win the election in November or 2021.
The NFL has said the decision on hosting a New York Super Bowl would depend on local officials, including the mayor, who would have final say.
The NFL said it has been negotiating with cities to host the event for the past several months.
The Associated Press