For many people, attending the Super Bowl is likely a dream unrealized — Sunday’s game might be the most expensive one yet, with average ticket prices nearing $10,000.
That doesn’t mean NFL fans will stop fantasizing about what goes on inside the stadium: What is it really like in an arena teeming with mega-fans, hobnobbing corporate execs, people there just for the spectacle and celebrities wanting to be seen? Are the halftime shows as impressive in person? And what’s a Super Bowl without constant cuts to its hotly anticipated commercials?
If you’re one of the over 100 million Americans tuning in to watch the Kansas City Chiefs versus the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, but wonder what it’s like to attend in person, take it from the people who’ve been.
There’s the first-time Super Bowl attendee who’d never been to a NFL match in her life — and who watched the Big Game in the thick of the pandemic. Two Super Bowl spectators scored tickets through their employers, but only one of them came away with happy memories. And one lifelong fan is grateful he saw his team win, but he’d never go again.
These Super Bowl veterans both loved and loathed their time at the biggest game of the year. Here’s what they learned from their frequently surprising, often expensive and occasionally overwhelming — for better or worse — stints at the Super Bowl.
The person who attended the Super Bowl nine times
Mike Quackenbush has been to the Super Bowl nine times — but he didn’t personally pay for tickets because, technically, he was there on business.
The NFL Players Association, the labor union that represents the league’s players, was a client of the firm where Quackenbush worked as a CPA in the ’90s. Quackenbush happened to be the union’s main point of contact. This connection allowed him and his friends to attend numerous Super Bowls throughout the decade.
His first Super Bowl experience was in 1992, when his hometown team — then the Washington Redskins — faced off against the Buffalo Bills. He got tickets to various private parties leading up to the big event, snuck into a private box during the game and ultimately saw his team crowned champions.
In the years after, though, he didn’t have a team in the Super Bowl. Going to the game is still a great experience, Quackenbush said, but the vibe is not what people might expect. He estimates only about half of attendees are avid fans rooting for their teams, while the other half couldn’t care less about the outcome.
“It’s sort of a letdown,” he said. “The most fun for me was attending parties that lead up to the game.” Going to these events gave him stories and experiences he’ll never forget, like the time he was waved into famed quarterback Peyton Manning’s private event. But these days, he doesn’t have much interest in going.
“When you have to pay $10,000 for a ticket or whatever the going rate may be, that’s a lot of money for a game like that,” he said. “If you don’t have a team, it’s not worth it. But if your team’s in it, go and experience it. It’s a great event and I was super lucky to go all those years.”
The first-time Super Bowl attendee who went during the pandemic
The 2021 Super Bowl, between the Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was unusual for a few reasons. It was the first time a team had played the Big Game in their home stadium. And due to the Covid-19 pandemic and social distancing policies, it was one of the lowest-attended Super Bowls, too.
This made Chelsea Bear’s first-ever professional football game an especially unique experience. The South Florida resident scored last-minute tickets to the match in Tampa from her sister Chloe, a Bucs cheerleader in her rookie season. The two of them sat in a crowd of mostly cardboard cutouts, with some fans scattered between the flat figures. The muted atmosphere wasn’t terrible, she said, and actually cut down on some of the Super Bowl’s notorious wait times.