NFL owners voted Tuesday to make Arizona the site of Super Bowl XLIX in 2015.
The vote came down to Arizona and Tampa Bay.
Arizona last hosted the Super Bowl in 2008 when the Giants upset the Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII. Tampa Bay last hosted Super Bowl XLIII in 2009 when the Steelers defeated the Cardinals 27-23 on Feb. 1. South Florida has held the most Super Bowls at 10.
The Tampa Super Bowl committee bought a billboard in Houston, asking owners to bring the Super Bowl back to Florida.
Arizona won by simple majority after the second ballot. To win on the first ballot, a region needed 75% of owners to sign off.
The Arizona Super Bowl committee found in a study presented to the owners that Super Bowl XLII generated $500 million in commerce for the region. University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., also hosted the last BCS national championship game on Jan. 10.
"We're delighted that the NFL has chosen Arizona," said Arizona Cardinals president Michael Bidwell. "I think it's going to be a great economic impact this time around in 2015 to give our community something to really rally around over the next couple of years as we go through these economic times."
Super Bowl XLVI will be held in Indianapolis on Feb. 5, followed by New Orleans and East Rutherford, N.J., site of the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold-weather city. The NFL announced Tuesday that Super Bowl XLVIII at the New Jersey Meadowlands will be held on Feb. 2, 2014, Groundhog's Day.
Nate Davis is a reporter, blogger and editor who's been at USA TODAY since 2000. He has covered the NFL since 2005. No, he did not play quarterback for Ball State. Davis' succession of our esteemed colleague Sean Leahy at The Huddle is considered a Brady-for-Bledsoe swap by most "insiders."More about Nate