Taylor Goodyear

Staff Writer

Most Americans are familiar with the Super Bowl, at least by name; it’s the culmination of six months of blood, sweat, and tears for the National Football League’s players and fans. Sixty minutes of playing time stretched out into a four hour affair, complete with the iconic halftime show and topped off with millions of fans hosting parties and companies spending millions of dollars on the most coveted commercial slots. In August of 2025, thirty-two teams set out with the goal of claiming the Lombardi Trophy, a fancy ring, and bragging rights for the next eight months. Six months later, two teams remain poised to claim the title of Super Bowl Champion. In this absolute chaos of a season, the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots are headed to Santa Clara to play in the sixtieth annual Super Bowl on Sunday, February 8.

Both teams are no stranger to the Super Bowl; this will be the Seahawks’ fourth appearance, while the Patriots have played an impressive 12 matches, the most in the NFL. Of these, New England has won six, while Seattle only has one title. These teams have even played each other before, in Super Bowl XLIX (Forty nine, for those unfamiliar with Roman numerals) in 2015. That game ended in a 28-24 Patriots victory, so the Seahawks are looking for revenge in 2026.

Both teams have changed significantly from their 2015 showdown. The Seahawks, led by NFL veteran Sam Darnold at QB, are hot off of a 14-3 regular season and two straight playoff wins against the San Francisco 49ers — ironically the hosts of this year’s Super Bowl — and the Los Angeles Rams after winning the bye week for round one. The Patriots, starring second-year Drake Maye at QB, also ended the season 14-3. However, they scored the number 2 seed in the AFC, meaning they had to beat The Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans, and Denver Broncos to make it to the Super Bowl. Both teams are coming off of lackluster performances in previous years. After Tom Brady’s departure from New England in 2020, the Patriots have been floundering for a replacement, going 4-13 in two consecutive seasons (2023-2024). Prior to this year, the Seahawks had not made the playoffs since the 2022 season. Both teams are hoping to prove that the dog days are over. The Patriots in particular have a score to settle; after complaints of an easy schedule (only one team that the Patriots beat this season ended with a winning record — the Buffalo Bills), they are hoping to silence the critics with a spectacular showing this Sunday.

For those uninterested in the football aspect, the halftime show is sure to be a showstopper. Bad Bunny is headlining the performance. The Puerto Rican artist will take the stage between the second and third quarters, along with acts from punk band Green Day and singers Charlie Puth, Brandi Carlile, and Coco Jones.

No matter why people are tuning in, Super Bowl LX is sure to be one of the most viewed events of the year. Kickoff is this Sunday, February 8, at 6:30 pm Eastern Time.