In a not-too-surprising announcement, the National Football League confirmed Tuesday that Indianapolis will be the host site of Super Bowl XLVI. What was surprising, though, was that it took four rounds of voting by the NFL’s 32 team owners before it was finally determined that that 2012 Super Bowl will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The decision was made public during a one-day owners’ meeting at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in the Atlanta suburb of Buckhead. Super Bowl XLVI is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012 and will be broadcast nationally by NBC.

Indianapolis edged out Glendale, Ariz. — the host of this past year’s Super Bowl — and Houston in the selection process. The final voting, which occurred after 15-minute presentations from each prospective game site, came down to Indianapolis and Glendale in the final three rounds.

Houston was dropped from consideration after the opening round. The final vote counts for the last two rounds were not immediately released.

“I’m pleased to announce that Super Bowl 46 will be played on Feb. 5, 2012 and it will be played in Indianapolis,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “They did a terrific job, the community, in putting together an outstanding bid. All the bids were outstanding, but you could see the quality of this bid and the enthusiasm of this community. I think clearly the stadium, the quality of the stadium and the public-private partnership, was the big factor in many of the owners’ minds. They just did a terrific job of putting together a bid that I think will serve the NFL very well and hopefully serve the Indianapolis community very well.

“One other point that I think stood out, at least for me, and I think for the ownership, was the legacy project that they had proposed for the city with respect to building a practice facility and then turning around and leaving that to the community as a facility that will be used by many generations of young people to play sports. I think that’s a great thing about the NFL and the Super Bowl. We like coming to new cities and we’re looking forward to being in Indianapolis.”

Mark Miles, the chairman of the city’s Super Bowl bid committee, and Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Eugene White made the final presentation for Indianapolis early Tuesday afternoon, aided by a video hosted by actor Dennis Hopper.

Miles and Colts owner Jim Irsay were both visibly affected upon hearing the NFL’s announcement. Miles choked back his emotions and Irsay sighed in relief as they discussed the league’s decision afterward. Indianapolis had come within two votes a year ago of winning the right to host the 2011 Super Bowl, losing out to Dallas in a close selection process.