This Sunday is the Super Bowl LIII, one of the most watched annual sporting events. For many college students it is an opportunity to take a break from classes and studying, gather some friends, make some snacks and root for their favorite team. What many people don’t know is there is a long history behind the Super Bowl.
Originally the Super Bowl began as a merger agreement between the NFL and the AFL (American Football League. The game would be between the champions of both leagues, until their merger would officially take place in 1970. After the merger the conference champions would be the teams that played against each other in the Super Bowl.
In 2015 the Super Bowl became one of the most-watched broadcasts in U.S. with an average of 114.4 million viewers. That was the fifth time in only six years that the game had set a record. The Super Bowl is also among the most watcher sporting events in the world. It is second only to soccer’s UEFA Champions League Finals.
Many people believe that the Super Bowl originated the term “bowl” game, however this not true the original bowl was the Rose Bowl Game in 1902. When the Super Bowl was first played the term “bowl” for major American football games was already a well-established term.
This Sunday’s Super Bowl will be played by the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots. Whether you are only watching for the snacks, commercials or even just for the half time show hopefully you’ve learned more about thee history behind the Super Bowl!