The Orange County Tourist Development Council has recommended spending $3 million in the next three seasons to help bring the NFL Pro Bowl to Camping World Stadium, Jeff Weiner of the Orlando Sentinel reports.
The recommendation will go to Orange County Commission next week.
The money will be drawn from the Tourist Development Tax levied by the county on hotel rooms. The county and the city have both expressed interest in pursuing this plan and so it would seem the path is clear for Orlando to submit a bid for the Pro Bowl in 2017.
The NFL has reportedly opened up bids for the Pro Bowl to move it away from its traditional location in Honolulu, Hawai’i. Other sites that are being considered include Houston and Sydney, Australia.
The Pro Bowl has long looked for something to mix up the game and revitalize it. Perhaps going to a new location can help spark interest. Particularly a football hungry market that does not see many NFL games. Florida Citrus Sports has expressed interest in bringing at least NFL preseason games to Orlando. The Pro Bowl would likely be a step up from that.
And surely players and their families would enjoy the chance to come to Orlando and vacation for a week.
The bid will now go to the county commission for a vote and likely approval. Then the bid will get put together and submitted to the NFL for consideration.
