HELP US BRING SUPER BOWL LII TO MINNESOTA – JOIN THE ‘MINNESOTA HANDOFF’

Video will show people across the state tossing the game ball all the way to U.S. Bank Stadium to mark the start of the Super Bowl LII countdown

Minneapolis, Minn. (Oct. 20, 2016) – The Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee (MNSBHC) today invited Minnesotans of all ages to participate in bringing the Super Bowl from Houston to Minnesota in February, 2017. The MNSBHC will create a virtual handoff – a video representing the Super Bowl game ball traveling across Minnesota before landing at U.S. Bank Stadium, the site of Super Bowl LII. The video will be debuted at the official handoff ceremony in Houston on February 6, 2017, shared on the MNSBHC’s social media channels and online at mnsuperbowl.com.

Traditionally, the game ball is handed from the previous host committee to the hosts of the next Super Bowl the day after the big game, formally putting them ‘on the clock’. The virtual video handoff will allow our entire state to be represented at the ceremony.

“The game ball belongs to our entire state, and we want all Minnesotans to be part of bringing it home,” said Maureen Bausch, CEO of the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee. “We look forward to using this Minnesota Handoff to showcase our beautiful state, our welcoming people, and our enthusiasm for hosting Super Bowl LII to the world’s media, as the 52 week countdown to Super Bowl LII officially begins. So give us your best throw, Minnesota!”

Minnesotans can record a video catching and passing the football, and submit it by visiting www.mnsuperbowl.com/handoff. Videos uploaded will be considered for inclusion in the final video, to be shown at the handoff press conference in Houston. Submissions are encouraged to use their video to showcase unique Minnesota settings – be it a landmark, a scenic view, a main street, or even our beautiful seasons. Full instructions for filming the video are included at www.mnsuperbowl.com/handoff. The deadline to submit for consideration is December 31, 2016.

Kicking off the Minnesota Handoff efforts are the Voice of the Vikings, Paul Allen; Viktor the Viking; and Carl Eller. Their demonstration video can be seen on our website at www.mnsuperbowl.com.

The handoff on February 6, 2017 will start 52 weeks of celebration leading up to Super Bowl LII. Minnesota’s Super Bowl will be played on February 4, 2018.

The Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee is a private, non-profit corporation formed to plan and execute Super Bowl LII. For more information visit www.mnsuperbowl.com and follow @mnsuperbowl2018 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.