Super Bowl Facts

It’s that time of year again, the Super Bowl is here! Read on to brush up on your Super Bowl facts. No matter who you’re rooting for this year, we’ve got info you’ll love.

Keep reading for Super Bowl FAQs, tasty game day recipes, the history of the holiday and more!

If you believe that the commercials don’t have to be the best part of the game, then this page of Super Bowl facts is for you.

Let’s dive in to the history that makes this particular football game so special!

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What is the Super Bowl?

The Super Bowl is the name of the annual championship game in the NFL (National Football League).

During the first two championship games, the Super Bowl was referred to as the AFL-NFL Championship Game. It wasn’t until 1968 that the name Super Bowl was adopted.

The game played in 1968 (Jets/Colts) was the first game to be called the Super Bowl. This game was named Super Bowl III, and the first two games were renamed Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II, respectively.

To get to the Super Bowl, a team must make it through the regular season with a good enough win record (in their respective divisions) to advance to the playoffs.

Then they must make it through a series of single elimination games, called the playoffs, which leave two teams standing. Those two teams compete in the Super Bowl.

Is Super Bowl one word?

I’ve you’ve ever written “Superbowl”, or asked Google “is Superbowl one word”, you’re not alone. Though commonly misspelled, Super Bowl is two words!

Additionally, Super Bowl is always capitalized, because it’s a proper noun. It’s the same grammatically as other big sporting events, like the Olympics.

Super Bowl date

The Super Bowl falls on a different date every year. It’s like Thanksgiving, instead of having a dedicated date, it has a dedicated day of the month.

From 2004 to 2021, the Super Bowl occurred on the first Sunday in February. However, since 2021, the Super Bowl has occurred on the second Sunday in February.

Super Bowl Sunday actually shares the second Sunday of February with two other national days – National Pork Rind Appreciation Day and Super Chicken Wing Day!

This is very appropriate because pork rinds and chicken wings are perfect snacks for Super Bowl Sunday!

To see a list of the other national days this month, have a look at the national days in February, as well as the February word search printable of national days for puzzle fans.

Vince Lombardi Trophy

Every year, the team who wins the Super Bowl gets to take home a trophy called the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

It is named after a former Packer’s coach, Vince Lombardi who led the team to victory during Super Bowls I and II.

A new trophy is made each year, so every team who wins gets to keep their trophy. It’s unlike the Stanley Cup (in the National Hockey League) which gets passed to the new winner from year to year.

The Vince Lombardi trophy is made of sterling silver by Tiffany & Co. The trophy weighs 7 pounds and stands 22 inches tall.

It has the words “Vince Lombardi Trophy”, the NFL shield and the Roman numerals for the year engraved on the base of the trophy.

When a team wins the Super Bowl, the trophy is then sent to Tiffany & Co, who engraves it again with the team names, final score, date and game location.

In addition to the trophy the team gets to keep, each player on the winning team also receives a small replica of the Lombardi Trophy.

Super Bowl Roman numerals

Each Super Bowl has a Roman numeral associated with the game. If you’re like me (who has to google the Roman numeral every year), you’ve probably found yourself wondering why this is necessary.

During a football season, the regular games fall in a different calendar year than the Super Bowl, so using Roman numerals to label the Super Bowl led to less confusion.

Let’s take Super Bowl LV for example. The majority of the regular season and playoff games for Super Bowl LV were played in 2020, however the date of the Super Bowl game fell on February 7, 2021.

See how using the year could be confusing? Thankfully, Lamar Hunt solved this problem by deciding to use Roman numerals, starting with Super Bowl V.

The only Super Bowl, to date, that has not use Roman numerals was Super Bowl 50.

Brush up on your knowledge of the Super Bowl with these Super Bowl facts. Some may surprise you!

Since 2021, the Super Bowl date has fallen on the second Sunday in February.
Sometimes the Super Bowl overlaps with Mardi Gras, resulting in what is called “Super Gras”.
In 2013, when the Super Bowl was held in New Orleans, they rearranged the schedule of Mardi Gras parades, so none of the parades would overlap with the game.
Super Bowl 50 is the only Super Bowl in history not to use Roman numerals.
Though commonly misspelled, Super Bowl is actually two words, not one.
In 2021, Sarah Thomas became the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl. She was also hired as the first ever female on-field official (in 2015).
For a referee to officiate the Super Bowl, they must have five years of experience in the NFL, and have officiated at least one playoff season.
Super Bowl tickets have not always been expensive or highly coveted. In 1967 the average price for a ticket was $12, which today is roughly $95.
The entertainment for the for Super Bowl I halftime show included men in jetpacks, a marching band, a world champion baton twirler, and releasing 300 pigeons.
In odd numbered games the NFC is designated as the home team. In even numbered games the AFC is the home team. The home team gets to choose which uniforms they’ll play in, and the road team gets to call the coin toss.

Super Bowl recipes

So now that you know some fun Super Bowl facts, let’s plan the menu for your next Super Bowl party!

Football cheese ball – This football shaped cheese ball equal parts delicious, easy to make, and Super Bowl themed!
Honey chicken wings – These honey chicken wings with zesty garlic and herb seasoning will be a hit at your Super Bowl party!
Skittles cheese balls – There two versions of the recipe here, one with a sweeter taste, and one with a more sour flavor! Both are delicious and perfect Super Bowl snacks.
Sticky chicken wings – These sticky chicken wings with chutney are easy to cook in the oven, and will be a Super Bowl fan favorite!
Easy guacamole recipe – The Super Bowl is one of the days during the year where people consume the most guacamole. Join in on the party with our quick recipe for homemade guacamole!
Easy nacho recipe – If you want something to go with your guacamole other than regular tortilla chips, try this nacho recipe that’s easy to modify with what you have on hand.

Whatever you do, don’t drink too much with these recipes, or you might end up celebrating National Football Hangover Day, the day after the Super Bowl.

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About the author

Since graduating from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Jess has been living and working in Los Angeles, CA. She is a freelance writer, specializing in content related to fashion, food and drink and film industry topics. Find out more about Jess here.

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Super Bowl Facts – History, FAQs, Roman Numerals, Recipes and More!