The greatest city and the greatest state are hosting the world's biggest sporting event, Super Bowl XLVI!

Today, (May 20, 2008) the NFL has announced that the Indianapolis Colts will be awarded
Super Bowl XLVI.

Arizona came in second. This is the second year in a row that the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee was passed up by owners in favor of another host. Last season North Texas was awarded the 2011 Super Bowl over both Arizona and Indianapolis.

Indy beat Houston and Phoenix in a vote of the league's 32 owners after losing by just two votes to Dallas for the 2011 game.

The only other cold-weather cities that have received a Super Bowl include Detroit and Minnesota, both with domes.

Average temperatures in Indianapolis for February are a High of 38,  Low 20.

South Florida and New Orleans have hosted the most Super Bowls with 9 apiece. Tampa, South Florida, Dallas will host Super Bowls in the next 3 years.

Dallas' Super Bowl bid has received much publicity because of their new $1 billion stadium that is opening.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said owners were blown away by the enthusiasm and planning that went into Indianapolis' bid, along with the strength of the organization's public-private partnership.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said that Indianapolis's new Lucas Oil Stadium was a deciding factor for the owners in the decision to award the game to the central Indiana city.

The bid highlighted Indianapolis' $1.1 billion airport, a Friday night party at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a Saturday night concert on Monument Circle before the big game.

Also the city has promised to build a practice facility for the Super Bowl that will then be turned over to the community.

Indianapolis officials said they want the game to leave a lasting legacy. Part of the proposal includes a Super Bowl training facility at Arsenal Tech High School that would become a recreational center for children on the east side long after the game is over.

"You want to have something that affects the community for years to come," Irsay said. "This is about ... helping our city and state and connecting the whole community."

The game will be played in Lucas Oil Stadium, a new $700 million facility scheduled to open in August of 2008 that will seat about 73,000 for a Super Bowl.

Holding the 2012 Super Bowl in Lucas Oils Stadium marks only the fourth time a domed stadium in a northern US city will host the event.

Over the last 25 years, Indianapolis has grown into the ideal city to host major sports championships. Our central location, uniquely convenient and connected downtown, and track record of successful events like the NCAA Final Four, Indianapolis 500 and Allstate Brickyard 400 give us a competitive advantage.

The amenities and convenience of downtown Indianapolis, our experience in hosting world-class events and our storied army of experienced volunteers have made Indianapolis the destination of choice for more than 400 elite sporting events and their fans for nearly three decades. Look at our track record: the 1982 Olympic Sports Festival, 1987 Pan American Games, 17 U.S. Olympic Trials, five NCAA Men's Basketball Final Fours, an NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four, Big Ten Basketball Tournaments, world championships in basketball, swimming, gymnastics and track & field, as well as unique events such as the 2001 World Police and Fire Games and the 2005 Solheim Cup.

The Indianapolis 500 ran its first race in 1911-and treats visitors better than any other convention or tourist destination. Visitors crow about the ability to move effortlessly on foot from a sporting venue to a restaurant to a popular nightspot and back to their hotel. No need for shuttle buses to move from place to place; just a pair of comfortable shoes

And by 2012, almost $3 billion in new investment will make the Circle City an even more attractive destination, with Lucas Oil Stadium, the new Indianapolis International Airport, expanded Convention Center and new downtown convention hotel all open for business to welcome the Super Bowl.

There's no question Indianapolis is a Super Bowl city - and there's also no doubt that bringing the game here would be a major economic victory, with more than $250 million in economic benefits and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase our city to the world.

The benefits of hosting a Super Bowl begin with the direct economic activity generated by the game itself - spending by visitors. Over the last ten years, direct spending has only dipped below $120 million once, and has often topped $140 million. Miami saw $195 million in direct impact from its 2007 Super Bowl.

On the cost side of the equation, the bulk of the expenses for the Super Bowl and related events are funded by private sector contributions - in Indianapolis, the corporate community came forward with $25 million in pledges for city's 2011 bid, and early indications are that this level of commitment continues to exist for a 2012 attempt. Completing this fundraising early puts Indianapolis in an enviable position.

Public safety and security are the only major direct costs to the City itself. While we're still assessing these expenses, past experience tells us that they will be repaid several times over by the additional sales tax and other revenues generated by visitors during Super Bowl week alone.

So from a strictly short-term economic analysis, the case for pursuing the Super Bowl is overwhelming.

City and bid officials now have less than four years to prepare their vision for game week, including a Super Bowl "Village" that would transform Downtown into a week-long festival that could draw hundreds of thousands of visitors.

An even more ambitious task is their goal of leveraging game to revitalize the Near-Eastside, highlighted by a roughly $9 million practice facility that would then be handed over to Indianapolis Public Schools.

The vote was announced at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in the Atlanta suburb of Buckhead, where the NFL owners held their annual meeting. Indianapolis went first as the three competing cities gave 15-minute presentations, followed by a league analysis.