Super Bowl 2013 Takes Cues from Indy

The 2013 Super Bowl is just around the corner. The next game, on Feb. 3, 2013 in New Orleans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, will take cues from Indy's 2012 game. Chief among them: The Verizon Super Bowl Boulevard. The offerings, which mirror Indy's Super Bowl Village, include a four-day lineup of music, food, live national television broadcasts, interactive fan events, and the iconic Super Bowl roman numerals.  Free to the public, the Verizon Super Bowl Boulevard will open Jan. 31 and run daily until Super Bowl Sunday.

Indianapolis Plans Bid for Second Super Bowl

Multiple local news sources are reporting that Indianapolis civic leaders will soon announce the city's plans to bid for a second Super Bowl. The Feb. 5, 2012 event was a resounding success for the city thanks to unseasonably warm weather, a monumental volunteer effort and a series of Super Bowl firsts including the popular Super Bowl Village.

No word yet whether the city will bid on the 2016 game, the next one the NFL will award. The city hopes to find itself in the regular rotation of host cities, joining the likes of Miami and greater Phoenix. Indy's compact, clean downtown is a big asset, though league officials have suggested the city will need more hotel rooms to make the regular rotation.

The 2013 Super Bowl is slated for New Orleans, the 2014 game will be played in New York, and the 2015 game is scheduled for Glendale, Arizona.


Stay tuned to Indy2012.com for Super Bowl news!

The Giants are Super Bowl Champions!

The New York Giants are Super Bowl Champions, knocking off the New England Patriots at Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, 21-17.

It's Not Too Late to Buy Super Bowl 2012 Tickets

Turns out cheaper prices come to those who wait to buy their Super Bowl tickets! The entry level prices on the secondary market have fallen about 50 percent from this time last week. At last check, tickets were available starting at about $1,100 apiece before fees.

Wanna go? Here's what to do:

• Avoid scalpers! Sophisticated ticket counterfeiters already have victimized several fans this year.
• Shop tickets from a licensed ticket marketplace like Vivid Seats (marketplaces list tickets from a variety of sources and update prices in real time based on the market). You can call toll free 800-840-9227 to speak with a Vivid Seats corporate sales specialist or click here to check pricing. (You'll have to order by phone since the game is so close.) 
• You don't have to worry about shipping. Vivid has an office set up downtown at 200 N. Illinois St. where you can pick up your tickets in person.
• Still have questions? Email indytimes@gmail.com.  

Updated on Feb. 5, 2012

Ticket Prices Plummet as Super Bowl Nears

Get-in ticket prices for Super Bowl 2012 have fallen to about $1,600 apiece before service charges, at last check, as the countdown to the big game on Feb. 5 begins. The prices still are well above face value on tickets to the game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, as the buzz builds in the Circle City. Thousands of fans are arriving in Indianapolis today thanks to four-night-minimum stays at area hotels. The city is on track to break the league's record for attendance at the NFL Experience and will draw about three-quarters of a million people to its Super Bowl Village.

John Legend Hosting Super Bowl Party

Nine-time Grammy winner John Legend is scheduled to perform at a star-studded Super Bowl party called Legends 'N' Models at the former home of Jillian's, now Cuda Lounge, at 141 S. Meridian St., the night before Super Bowl XLVI.

The party will be hosted by Victoria's Secret model (and Leonardo DiCaprio girlfriend) Erin Heatherton and also feature musical guests Travie McCoy of Gym Class Heroes and DJ Reach. Guest hosts include NHRA Top Fuel drivers Morgan Lucas and Brandon Bernstein.

Tickets to the party start at $200 apiece, making it one of the most affordable celebrity bashes, and can be purchased by calling (800) 896-9965 ext. 702. For more on parties, check our full roundup of Super Bowl 2012 Parties.

Celebrities Flock to Indy for Super Bowl Charity Events

Celebrities from the worlds of film, music and sports flock to the Super Bowl every year, not just for the game and extravagant parties, but to support causes of all stripes. Indy2012.com has compiled details on some of the top charity benefit events planned for around town during the days leading up to Super Bowl 2012. The events offer fans a chance to rub elbows with stars while supporting a good cause. Here's a sampling (more after the jump):

Legends for Charity Dinner

WHO: NBC Sports Announcer Al Michaels, Hall of Fame Coach Don Shula, emcees Mary Matalin and James Carville, CBS Sports reporter Lesley Visser
WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Feb. 2
WHERE: Westin Hotel, 50 S. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis
PRICE: $175
BENEFITS: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
MORE INFO: 954-922-7013

Taste of the NFL: Party with a Purpose

WHO: Former Colts coach Tony Dungy, Food Network star Ted Allen, newly crowned Miss America Laura Kaeppeler and chefs representing each NFL city
WHEN: 7 p.m. Feb. 4
WHERE: Gleaners Food Bank, 3737 Waldemere Ave., Indianapolis
PRICE: $600
BENEFITS: Food banks such as Gleaners in every NFL city
MORE INFO: 317-631-2947

Celebrity Flag Football Challenge

WHO: Hip Hop artist Nelly, Doug Flutie, Devin Hester, Sean McCoy, Tae Bo Billy Blanks
WHEN: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 4
WHERE: SportsZone Indy, 6601 Coffman Road, Indianapolis
PRICE: $20 regular, $10 student, $75 VIP
BENEFITS: Peyton Manning Children's Hospital
MORE INFO: 847-673-0592

Aces & Angels Super Bowl Party Extravaganza

WHO: Athletes Matt Forte, Maurice Jones-Drew, Antonio Gates, Vince Young, Josh Cribbs, Shawne Merriman, Ike Taylor and Antoine Bethea, along with former Playboy of the Year Brande Roderick, Supermodel Elaine Alden
WHEN: 9 p.m. Feb. 3
WHERE: ICE Ultra Lounge, 235 S. Meridian St., Indianapolis
HOW MUCH: $300 general admission, $500 VIP
BENEFITS: The Aces & Angels Foundation, Veterans of Valor, USO, Wounded Warrior Project
MORE INFO: 317-730-3620

Will Fewer 2012 Super Bowl Tickets Mean Higher Prices?

The NFL has scaled back plans for temporary seating at Lucas Oil Stadium for Super Bowl 2012, meaning Indianapolis is on track to host one of the smallest in-person crowds for the big game in 20 years. The league originally planned for up to 7,000 extra seats at the downtown Indianapolis stadium but now plans to install only about 5,000.

Lucas Oil Stadium will host about 68,000 people for Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5. By comparison, 103,000 fans attended last year's Super Bowl in Dallas, and 74,000 attended the 2010 game in Miami. The reduction in the number of seats so far hasn't had a big impact on ticket pricing other than to minimize discounting, said James Reilly, a market analyst at Vivid Seats.

"What we have noticed is that the huge supply of seats last season gave fans who might usually be priced out of attending the Super Bowl a chance to go the game as we saw a large number of sales in the $1,000 to $2,000 per ticket range," Reilly noted. "This year, with a more limited supply of seating, there are very few options for fans working with that type of budget."

Tickets are up for sale from about $2,000 to $6,000 apiece depending on the location within Lucas Oil Stadium. Of course, prices could fluctuate based on which of the final four teams make it to Super Bowl Sunday. All four of the teams, the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots, have strong fan bases that travel well.

The temporary seats are scheduled to be in place more than two weeks before the game to allow for safety inspections and ensure everyone with a ticket gets a seat, avoiding a repeat of last year's fiasco in Dallas.