If they build it, they should apply.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, in Atlanta for the league’s spring meetings Tuesday, said he would encourage the Falcons to submit a proposal to host the Super Bowl if the franchise can get a new stadium constructed.

The Falcons and Arthur Blank are in planning stages as they attempt to follow the Minnesota Vikings in getting support and funding for a new building. The fact of the matter is the NFL often works to reward cities with new stadiums with at least one Super Bowl. Atlanta has hosted the game twice – in 1994 and 2000, when an ice storm paralyzed much of the area.

“The issue that we always raise — and this came up in Minnesota (where) they’re building a closed-roof stadium, it appears, and have the same interest — (is that) the reality of what’s happening is it is becoming more and more competitive to host a Super Bowl,” Goodell said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
 

“But these stadiums are our stage, and they are one of the key components in hosting a Super Bowl, along with having, obviously, the infrastructure. So certainly, if (a new stadium) gets done (here), we’d encourage them to apply.”

Originally, the Falcons were discussing an open-air stadium for downtown Atlanta. Lately, talks have turned to a new venue with a retractable roof.

Follow me on Twitter: @BradBiggs

Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune

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