Roger Goodell made some comments on the Super Bowl this weekend, and they’re likely to turn fans against him.
The NFL has been venturing out of the United States for games more often lately, seeing much success overseas as its brand continues to grow off American soil. As such, Goodell is refusing to rule out the possibility of an international Super Bowl.
The commissioner was speaking at a fan forum on Saturday when he revealed that a Super Bowl taking place outside of the U.S. would not surprise him.
“We’ve always traditionally tried to play a Super Bowl in an NFL city—that was always sort of a reward for the cities that have NFL franchises,” he said, per ABC. “But things change. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if that happens one day.”
A change in stance: Holding a Super Bowl outside the United States is now a possibility, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Saturday.https://t.co/rO6CHDwxQ5
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 13, 2024
Roger Goodell Has Said This Before
This isn’t the first time that Goodell has implied that the biggest sporting event in America could be played elsewhere. In 2007, he said it was an idea “we’ll be looking at,” having replaced Paul Tagliabue as commissioner just a year prior.
Since then, plenty has changed.
The league was getting its International Series off the ground back then. It started off with one game being played in London every year. However, several other countries have become involved since, with the English capital getting three games this season, while Brazil and Germany have also become NFL territories, with Spain set to be added in 2025.
This would be absolutely the dumbest thing ever
— Crumbletakes (@Crumbletakes) October 13, 2024
While American NFL fans are mostly okay with having regular-season games played overseas, they are unlikely to accept an international Super Bowl and would probably not be thrilled to have to travel to watch something they consider to be theirs happen in another country.