TEMPE, Ariz. -- The last time the Super Bowl was in Arizona, Ray Anderson was the Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the NFL.
Seven years later, the Super Bowl is heading to Arizona but Anderson won't have to make the long haul again from NFL headquarters in New York.
Anderson is in his first year as Vice President for University Athletics and Athletic Director at Arizona State University and is relishing the reunion in his new backyard.
"I'll find my way into some pretty fun things without having the responsibility of actually having to run operations so I'm looking forward to enjoying it," Anderson said.
The mantra for Anderson this time around is fun and it's hard to blame him.
Anderson admitted it was "hard to enjoy" the hype around the Super Bowl when he was with the NFL because of the responsibilities he had leading up to the game.
Now, Anderson is ready to enjoy America's grandest sporting spectacle like the thousands of fans who will flock to Arizona in late January for the Feb. 1 game.
Anderson had nothing but good things to say about Arizona as a Super Bowl destination.
"This is one of those places where once you come here and you're here in late January or February, it's 70 degrees and sunny and beautiful and people seeing on TV are able to appreciate this whole geographic region for being a wonderful place," he said.
Unlike a normal NFL fan, Anderson's former position allowed him to sit in on all of the host city presentations and he believes these Super Bowl reunions will continue happening.
"(Phoenix) is a destination that's easy to get to, there are tons of golf and tennis, and you have the Grand Canyon here, and very frankly that's why it's going to continue to be in the rotation for Super Bowls," Anderson said.
Anderson added another important logistic element that favors Arizona: Phoenix handles events such as the Super Bowl very well.
"It has its act together and is able to handle these major events with a lot of ease and functionality," he said. "Phoenix is just a great place to do this."
It's also very possible Super Bowl XLIX could feature a team from a host city for the first time in NFL history given the 2014 success of the Arizona Cardinals.
Some believe the Cardinals' inclusion in the Super Bowl would be a detraction but Anderson is not one.
"I think the Cardinals getting in will be a plus for a variety of reasons including the fact it's novel and never happened before," he said. "People will be out spending money and going to events. I think it would be outstanding."
Anderson wouldn't reveal his pick for the Super Bowl because he still has numerous friends in the NFL. Instead, he's happy he found a winner at ASU and is looking forward to the game put on by his former employer on Feb. 1, 2015.
"I couldn't have ever, ever imagined this," he said. "I couldn't have imagined having the dream circumstance I have now. I'm loving every moment of this."
Danny Shapiro is a student in Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The Cronkite School has partnered with NFL Media to provide content for superbowl.com.
