When Super Bowl LII is here next year, it will have been 26 years between Minnesota’s Super Bowls. And fortunately, many people like Marilyn Carlson Nelson and Wayne Kostrowski were involved then and now. The Star Tribune did a nice piece recently on what has changed since 1992 to help us put the two experiences in perspective.

But with the current responsibilities at hand, Super Bowl Host Committee CEO Maureen Bausch is undaunted by that ever-decreasing number of days as she and her team diligently firms up details. The Host Committee team has been in constant contact with their Houston counterparts as well as the NFL staff in order to gain the knowledge and insight they need to execute the Super Bowl. Our Meet Minneapolis team, led by Madonna Carr, has also taken on many preparation responsibilities.

The Super Bowl is a designated Level One National Security Event. That puts it in the same general category as a presidential inauguration. The coordination among local, state and federal agencies started some time ago. Other distinguishing aspects of the Super Bowl include:

• Deploying 10,000 volunteers to fulfill host city responsibilities;
• Generating an estimated $400 million in economic impact for the region;
• Attracting more than $500 million in earned media coverage; and
• Welcoming in excess of one million people to the free events surrounding the game itself.

Whether you're involved officially with the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee or not, you still have a role in leveraging this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our region. It's not about being a fan of football, necessarily. Showing warm hospitality to visitors and helping to shape long-term opinions about our region is an investment in all of our futures. And if the Vikings end up as the first team to host a Super Bowl on their own home field, that's just a bonus.

When Super Bowl LII is here next year, it will have been 26 years between Minnesota’s Super Bowls. And fortunately, many people like Marilyn Carlson Nelson and Wayne Kostrowski were involved then and now. The Star Tribune did a nice piece recently on what has changed since 1992 to help us put the two experiences in perspective.

But with the current responsibilities at hand, Super Bowl Host Committee CEO Maureen Bausch is undaunted by that ever-decreasing number of days as she and her team diligently firms up details. The Host Committee team has been in constant contact with their Houston counterparts as well as the NFL staff in order to gain the knowledge and insight they need to execute the Super Bowl. Our Meet Minneapolis team, led by Madonna Carr, has also taken on many preparation responsibilities.

The Super Bowl is a designated Level One National Security Event. That puts it in the same general category as a presidential inauguration. The coordination among local, state and federal agencies started some time ago. Other distinguishing aspects of the Super Bowl include:

• Deploying 10,000 volunteers to fulfill host city responsibilities;
• Generating an estimated $400 million in economic impact for the region;
• Attracting more than $500 million in earned media coverage; and
• Welcoming in excess of one million people to the free events surrounding the game itself.

Whether you're involved officially with the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee or not, you still have a role in leveraging this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our region. It's not about being a fan of football, necessarily. Showing warm hospitality to visitors and helping to shape long-term opinions about our region is an investment in all of our futures. And if the Vikings end up as the first team to host a Super Bowl on their own home field, that's just a bonus.