The crew putting together a bid for the 2018 Super Bowl has returned from a NYC visit with the NFL.

The National Football League's Super Bowl panel has met with all three finalist cities seeking to play host to the game in four years. New Orleans and Indianapolis are the others still in the race.

Minnesota Vikings Vice President Lester Bagley and Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority Chair Michele Kelm-Helgen led the contingent that also included reps from Meet Minneapolis (Meet Minneapolis is the name of the convention bureau for "Minneapolis city by nature").

The Minneapolis reps met for about three hours with NFL staff reviewing the bids. The crew now has until May 7 to polish that bid and submit its best, final effort.

The NFL owners gather May 19-20 at the Ritz-Carlton in Buckhead in Atlanta. On May 20, they will hear presentations from the three cities and vote on where the big game will be played in 2018.

The 32 owners are expected to announce the winner that day.

Kelm-Helgen used the oft-repeated phrase "cautiously optimistic" to describe her thoughts after the NYC NFL meeting. The NFL reps and the Minnesota crew asked each other lots of clarifying questions, she said.

But she said it was impossible to get a read on whether the NFL officials were favoring the city. The NFL staff is not expected to take a position on a city - just the owners.

The city's bid is not public. Kelm-Helgen said it will not be released.

The game would be played in the Minnesota Multi-purpose stadium set to open in time for the 2016 NFL season.

If you check out the construction site, remember: The height of the cranes is on par with the lowest point on the roof of the new stadium.