NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell visits Houston, talks Super Bowl bid

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Houston had a high-profile visitor Tuesday as the man in charge of the NFL, Commissioner Roger Goodell, was in town, presenting the perfect opportunity to talk about Houston's chances of getting a Super Bowl in 2017.

Goodell was in town for a question-and-answer session with the Greater Houston Partnership. One of the first questions asked of the commissioner was will Houston be awarded the Super Bowl LI for 2017 when the owners vote next May? But he doesn't really have a vote, it's up to the owners.

There is a 50-50 chance for the Bayou City, as Houston will go up against either San Francisco or Miami, whichever one those two cities loses out for the Super Bowl in 2016. Commissioner Goodell said Houston did a great job back in 2004, but it's all about the facilities and hospitality.

Reliant Stadium will be 15 years old in 2017 and plans for improvements are already in motion. A new digital scoreboard could be installed in time for next season. And the question of what to do with the Astrodome is always there.

"The stadium is critical to any Super Bowl bid. That's our stage, as I like to refer to it. It's where our fans are going to come and enjoy the Super Bowl event, and it's important to have a great facility," said Goodell. "And I think that anything that Miami does or you do to make sure that you have the best possibly facility, that's a big plus."

"We need to come to a conclusion as to what's going to be done with the Astrodome. It's not a pretty sight sitting there now, and it's noticeable and people comment on it. So we need to make those decisions and move on," said Texans owner Bob McNair.

He says having a plan in place for the Astrodome will be important for Houston's Super Bowl bid.

Goodell added that the NFL is always looking at ways to grow the game, to make the game day experience better through technology and the safety of the players is always an issue.

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