NFL owners on Friday approved a resolution that could result in the AFC Championship Game being played at a neutral site later this month. If any one of three scenarios happens, then NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will choose the site of the game.
If it comes to that, the game won’t be played in Indianapolis.
The Indianapolis Business Journal reports that the city declined the NFL’s request to host the AFC Championship Game. It is not known whether Indianapolis was the NFL’s first choice or one of several possibilities.
Indianapolis has scheduling conflicts with the Indy convention center booked. A national volleyball tournament expected to draw as many as 30,000 visitors to town will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium. The city has peak hotel room occupancy exceeding 7,000 rooms that weekend.
Earlier this week, the league asked Colts executives about hosting the game on either Jan. 28 or Jan. 29, per the report, but Indianapolis quickly answered Lucas Oil Stadium is unavailable.