PHOENIX -- The Super Bowl location in sunny Arizona will present a dilemma for league officials as they grapple with a question that is faced by many pro sports teams in an era of retractable roofs: whether to play the game with the stadium open or closed.
At this point, the NFL says it plans to keep the retractable roof open at University of Phoenix Stadium for the Feb. 1 game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, but the plan can change as the league gets a better read on the weather forecast for game night. If there is a sign of inclement weather, the roof will be shut.
The fact that the question is even up for debate may seem strange given the location. The game will be played in a place where tens of thousands of visitors flock each winter for the sole purpose of basking in the warm sun, and last year's Super Bowl took place in New Jersey with the temperature around 40 degrees at kickoff.
But the occupants of the stadium and the other three NFL teams with retractable roof stadiums actually play many more games indoors than with the roof open, even if their counterparts in cold-weather cities like Buffalo, Green Bay and Chicago get by in open-air facilities.
Since the Cardinals' stadium was built in 2006, the team has played 22 games with the roof open and 71 with it closed.
