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Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff Writer
SANTA CLARA, California — At the NFL league meetings in March, the San Francisco 49ers were confident that they would return the Super Bowl to Levi’s Stadium.
Barring a sudden change in direction, that confidence will be rewarded at the spring owner meetings in Minneapolis next week. There, the 49ers’ bid for Super Bowl 60 in 2026 is set to be approved by the NFL, a league source said, confirming a Sports Business Journal report.
“If the Bay Area has the opportunity, we would be honored to host Super Bowl LX,” 49ers president Al Guido said in a statement.
If the Bay Area’s bid is accepted, it would bring the Super Bowl back to Levi’s Stadium for the first time since the Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 and would be the third Super Bowl played in the Bay Area. The Niners defeated the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX, a game played at Stanford Stadium in 1985.
Niners executives have been bullish about getting Levi’s Super Bowl back for the past few months. At the March league meetings in Phoenix, the Niners requested a $120 million loan from the NFL’s stadium fund to improve Levi’s Stadium.
That money is set to go towards premium seats and scoreboard upgrades at Levi’s with an eye on the 2026 World Cup and strengthening their position for future Super Bowls.
Niners chief executive officer Jed York is bullish about the chances of another successful Super Bowl bid.
“I’m very optimistic,” York said on March 28. “I feel confident that we can get a Super Bowl in the near future. And it would be great to get Super Bowl 60 after hosting Super Bowl 50. … It’s great to be able to bring that game, certainly after bringing the World Cup to Levi’s Stadium and having the Super Bowl to follow that. Those are two of the truly biggest sporting events in the world, and there are back- It’s great to have come back.”
