Dolphins/Hard Rock Stadium fall out of Super Bowl rotation. Here’s why
The Dolphins have fallen out of the NFL’s Super Bowl rotation, and owner Stephen Ross last week revealed the reason: Hard Rock Stadium no longer meets league requirements to host the event.
The NFL requires Super Bowl hosts to have sufficient room for hospitality around the stadium. That room has been dramatically reduced at Hard Rock after the construction of the Formula One racetrack and tennis courts and infrastructure for the Miami Open.
Danny Silman -- CEO of Ross’ Relevent Sports Group and the person that Ross has said will run the Dolphins eventually -- told the South Florida Business Journal last week that he believes they can find a solution to the problem. But he did not elaborate, and stadium officials - who were busy with this weekend’s F-1 race - were not immediately available for comment Saturday.
Hard Rock Stadium has hosted 11 Super Bowls but none since 2020. Before that, the Dolphins waited 10 years for the game because of the need for more than $500 million publicly-financed renovations -- and the addition of an open-air canopy roof -- after rain dampened and put a damper on the February 2010 Super Bowl between the Saints and Colts.
The next three games have been awarded to Los Angeles (2027), Atlanta (2028) and Las Vegas (2029).
“The one thing that suffered is Miami hasn’t gotten a Super Bowl here, and we normally have one every five years,” Ross said at a conference on Thursday at the Four Seasons in Brickell, as reported by the South Florida Business Journal.
“Miami is not really in line for one. It’s always exciting to have the Super Bowl but that was before we had all the other events. Miami has by far the best weather. It’s in their best interest to have one here but at this point they don’t believe we meet all the requirements and the demands.”
Ross hasn’t given up hopes of hosting the game.
“We are looking at how to make improvements,” Ross said. “I want to make the stadium always feel like a new stadium, we are looking at what the next phase will be and making the fan experience that much better.”
Essentially, the Dolphins at least temporarily have opted for F-1 and Miami Open over Super Bowls, a decision that can be justified from a financial standpoint because of the annual revenue generated by those two events compared to the infrequency of Super Bowls being awarded to one city.
The track also has created revenue opportunities for Hard Rock Stadium beyond the annual F-1 race; the stadium offers 100 memberships to use the track about 40 days a year, along with unlimited use of the club facilities and hospitality.
The members of that ‘Precision Club’ must pay a one-time initiation fee and annual membership dues; the stadium has never confirmed how much each costs.
Besides hosting Dolphins and Miami Hurricanes football games and the Miami Grand Prix and Miami Open, Hard Rock Stadium hosts BCS playoff games annually (including the championship game this past January), concerts and international soccer matches.
This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 2:36 PM.
