New York Super Bowl 2014: The 10 Best Cold Weather Sites for Future Super Bowls

The announcement that Super Bowl XLVIII will take place at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey may have completely altered how the league looks at its Super Bowl destinations.

Super Bowl XLVIII, which will take place in 2014, will be the first Super Bowl in northern, outdoor stadium but it may not be the last. If all goes well, the NFL may look to other northern, roofless stadium to host future Super Bowls.

Well, we beat the NFL and the commissioner's office to the punch by looking at the 10 other cold weather sites that could successfully host a Super Bowl.

10. Lambeau Field

Talk about the elements! A Super Bowl in February in Green Bay, Wisconsin could be played in 20-below weather, but it is arguably the most historic location in the National Football League.

Aesthetically, it is an obvious choice but its remote location, tiny media market (with not enough infrastructure to handle a Super Bowl) and weather may be too much to undertake for the league.

9. Ralph Wilson Stadium

Wilson, like Lambeau Field, is a norther tier stadium in a very small market in Buffalo. However, it is one of the largest stadiums in the league with a football-crazed fan base that will pack the stadium even if the Bills are not participating.

The small media market and infrastructure make Buffalo a tough sell, but there may not be a better choice if the NFL wants to go for the gusto with cold-weather Super Bowls.

8. Gillette Stadium

A Super Bowl in the New Meadowlands Stadium got many thinking about moving the game right up I-95 to Gillette Stadium. Patriots owner Robert Kraft may campaign for it in the future after firmly backing the Super Bowl coming to the New York Metro area.

Gillette could be a good fit as the new Patriots Place offers plenty of entertainment for fans. However, Gillette Stadium is further removed from Boston (in Foxboro) than the New Meadowlands Stadium is from Manhattan. Foxboro is roughly 40 miles from Boston. That may be a tough sell for the Patriots.

7. Lincoln Financial Field

Lincoln Financial Field is a rather middle of the road choice, but if Gillette Stadium, New Meadowlands Stadium and FedEx Field make the cut, so should the Eagles home stadium.

Its close enough to Philadelphia's downtown and easily serves the major media markets up and down the Eastern Seaboard.

6. Arrowhead Stadium

The Super Bowl has never been brought to the nation's heartland, so why not Arrowhead which is regularly ranked as one of the loudest, boisterous environments in the NFL.

Arrowhead Stadium is the fourth largest venue in the league, providing it one attractive element. The Chiefs tried to pass a plan to install a roof over Arrowhead but the plan was shot down by local government. That forced the Chiefs to withdraw their bid for Super Bowl XLIX in 2015. However, the precedent of an outdoor Super Bowl in 2014 could change their ambition.

5. Invesco Field at Mile High

Invesco Field in Denver sits easily accessible to one of the country's most underrated cities and is the perfect winter time destination for a Super Bowl. Visitors and fans can ski by day and be entertained by Denver's quality nightlife by night.

At a capacity of 76,125, it can certainly put enough rear ends in the seats. The only problem the league may have with Invesco Field is the altitude. Subjecting both teams to the unique environment could adversely affect the game more than the elements may.

4. FedEx Field

FedEx Field, like the New Meadowlands Stadium, would be a symbolic gesture as much as a practical one by putting the game just outside the nation's capital. The home of the Washington Redskins rests just outside Washington D.C., but a relatively easy in-and-out from the district would make it an inviting location.

FedEx Field is also the largest venue in the league. Aside from numerous Super Bowls at The Rose Bowl, the Super Bowl has never been played in the league's largest stadium.

3. Heinz Field

Heinz Field is a modern stadium in the town of the game's winningest franchise. A Super Bowl in Pittsburgh could be turned into a celebration of the franchise with the most Super Bowl victories.

Pittsburgh is more of a low key city compared to the nation's biggest markets, but the Steel City knows how to party and could provide enough entertainment during Super Bowl week. Additionally, a Pittsburgh Super Bowl would pump in a tremendous amount of money into a local economy that would roll out the red carpet for NFL stars.

2. Qwest Field

Qwest Field is an underrated site for a Super Bowl even in the pre-cold weather condition Super Bowl world.

Qwest Field neighbors downtown Seattle, a unique city compared to previous Super Bowl sites. It's not a huge media market, but one big enough to handle the influx of media members, fans and players alike.

The stadium itself is equipped with roofs that shield a good percentage of the fans from the elements. Also Seattle is not New York or Chicago or Green Bay. Just because it's February does not mean temperatures will automatically sink below freezing.

Seattle winters are comparatively balmier than East Coast or Midwest cities. It may rain, but no reason to complain about 45-55 degree weather in winter.

1. Soldier Field

Soldier Field is the next obvious choice after New York because of its location and market in Chicago. Chicago provides the NFL a gigantic media market with the fun and entertainment of one of the country's best cities. It also avoids the confusion or vagueness of the New York-New Jersey element of the New Meadowlands Stadium.

The one knock against Solider Field is that at 61,500, it is the smallest capacity stadium in the NFL, but it may not be enough to dissuade decision makers given the location.