The Super Bowl isn't just a game. Honestly, it’s a weirdly specific calendar for American culture. If you look at super bowls by date, you see more than just scores; you see a league that literally outgrew the month of January.
Most people think the "Big Game" has always been a February thing. Nope. For the first 35 years of its existence, it was almost exclusively a January tradition. Then 9/11 happened, the schedule shifted, and suddenly the NFL realized that February was a much better home for a national holiday.
The January Era: Where it All Started
The very first game—before it was even officially called the Super Bowl—went down on January 15, 1967. Green Bay took apart the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10. It wasn't even a sellout! There were 33,000 empty seats at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Hard to imagine now, right?
Back then, the schedule was tight. The games were played early.
- Super Bowl III: Jan. 12, 1969. Joe Namath's famous guarantee.
- Super Bowl VII: Jan. 14, 1973. The Dolphins finished their perfect 17-0 season.
- Super Bowl XI: Jan. 9, 1977. This remains the earliest calendar date the game has ever been played.
Basically, if you were a fan in the 70s, you were done with football by mid-January. The season was shorter. The playoffs were smaller. Life was simpler, or at least the NFL was.
Why the Calendar Shifted to February
The transition wasn't a marketing gimmick at first. It was a necessity. In 2001, the September 11 attacks forced the NFL to postpone Week 2 games. This pushed the entire schedule back. Super Bowl XXXVI, where Tom Brady and the Patriots started their dynasty against the Rams, became the first one ever played in February (Feb. 3, 2002).
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The NFL liked the vibe. February is "Sweeps" month for TV networks. It’s cold in most of the country, which means people are inside watching TV. It was a goldmine.
By the time we hit the 2021 season, the NFL added a 17th regular-season game. That move permanently shoved the Super Bowl into the second Sunday of February. That's where we are now.
The Recent Timeline and That Wild 2025 Result
If you’ve been following the last few years, the dates have been creeping later and later.
- Super Bowl LVI: Feb. 13, 2022. Rams beat the Bengals in their own stadium.
- Super Bowl LVII: Feb. 12, 2023. Chiefs outlasted the Eagles in a high-scoring desert duel.
- Super Bowl LVIII: Feb. 11, 2024. The first Vegas Super Bowl. Chiefs over Niners in OT.
- Super Bowl LIX: Feb. 9, 2025. This one was a shocker.
Let's talk about Super Bowl LIX. Played in New Orleans at the Caesars Superdome, it was supposed to be the Kansas City Chiefs' historic "three-peat." It didn't happen. The Philadelphia Eagles absolutely dismantled them 40-22. Jalen Hurts took home the MVP, and Patrick Mahomes was sacked six times—a career-high for him in a single game. It was a blowout that nobody saw coming.
Every Super Bowl by Date, Winner, and Score
Sometimes you just need the raw data. Here is how the history of the game looks when you lay it out chronologically.
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1960s and 1970s: The Early Days
Jan 15, 1967: Green Bay 35, Kansas City 10
Jan 14, 1968: Green Bay 33, Oakland 14
Jan 12, 1969: NY Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7
Jan 11, 1970: Kansas City 23, Minnesota 7
Jan 17, 1971: Baltimore Colts 16, Dallas 13
Jan 16, 1972: Dallas 24, Miami 3
Jan 14, 1973: Miami 14, Washington 7
Jan 13, 1974: Miami 24, Minnesota 7
Jan 12, 1975: Pittsburgh 16, Minnesota 6
Jan 18, 1976: Pittsburgh 21, Dallas 17
Jan 9, 1977: Oakland 32, Minnesota 14
Jan 15, 1978: Dallas 27, Denver 10
Jan 21, 1979: Pittsburgh 35, Dallas 31
The 1980s: The Era of Blowouts
Jan 20, 1980: Pittsburgh 31, LA Rams 19
Jan 25, 1981: Oakland 27, Philadelphia 10
Jan 24, 1982: San Francisco 26, Cincinnati 21
Jan 30, 1983: Washington 27, Miami 17
Jan 22, 1984: LA Raiders 38, Washington 9
Jan 20, 1985: San Francisco 38, Miami 16
Jan 26, 1986: Chicago 46, New England 10
Jan 25, 1987: NY Giants 39, Denver 20
Jan 31, 1988: Washington 42, Denver 10
Jan 22, 1989: San Francisco 20, Cincinnati 16
The 1990s: NFC Dominance
Jan 28, 1990: San Francisco 55, Denver 10
Jan 27, 1991: NY Giants 20, Buffalo 19 (The "Wide Right" game)
Jan 26, 1992: Washington 37, Buffalo 24
Jan 31, 1993: Dallas 52, Buffalo 17
Jan 30, 1994: Dallas 30, Buffalo 13
Jan 29, 1995: San Francisco 49, San Diego 26
Jan 28, 1996: Dallas 27, Pittsburgh 17
Jan 26, 1997: Green Bay 35, New England 21
Jan 25, 1998: Denver 31, Green Bay 24
Jan 31, 1999: Denver 34, Atlanta 19
The 2000s: The Patriots Arrive
Jan 30, 2000: St. Louis Rams 23, Tennessee 16
Jan 28, 2001: Baltimore Ravens 34, NY Giants 7
Feb 3, 2002: New England 20, St. Louis Rams 17
Jan 26, 2003: Tampa Bay 48, Oakland 21
Feb 1, 2004: New England 32, Carolina 29
Feb 6, 2005: New England 24, Philadelphia 21
Feb 5, 2006: Pittsburgh 21, Seattle 10
Feb 4, 2007: Indianapolis 29, Chicago 17
Feb 3, 2008: NY Giants 17, New England 14 (The 18-1 upset)
Feb 1, 2009: Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 23
The 2010s: Modern Dynasties
Feb 7, 2010: New Orleans 31, Indianapolis 17
Feb 6, 2011: Green Bay 31, Pittsburgh 25
Feb 5, 2012: NY Giants 21, New England 17
Feb 3, 2013: Baltimore 34, San Francisco 31
Feb 2, 2014: Seattle 43, Denver 8
Feb 1, 2015: New England 28, Seattle 24
Feb 7, 2016: Denver 24, Carolina 10
Feb 5, 2017: New England 34, Atlanta 28 (The 28-3 comeback)
Feb 4, 2018: Philadelphia 41, New England 33
Feb 3, 2019: New England 13, Los Angeles Rams 3
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The 2020s: The Mahomes and Beyond
Feb 2, 2020: Kansas City 31, San Francisco 20
Feb 7, 2021: Tampa Bay 31, Kansas City 9
Feb 13, 2022: LA Rams 23, Cincinnati 20
Feb 12, 2023: Kansas City 38, Philadelphia 35
Feb 11, 2024: Kansas City 25, San Francisco 22 (OT)
Feb 9, 2025: Philadelphia 40, Kansas City 22
What’s Next? Super Bowl 60 and the Future
We are currently looking ahead to Super Bowl LX (60). Mark your calendars for February 8, 2026.
The game is headed back to the San Francisco Bay Area at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. It’s the second time the stadium has hosted (the first was Super Bowl 50), and the third time overall for the region. Interestingly, the NFL has already leaked some info: Bad Bunny is set to headline the Halftime Show.
If you're planning a party, notice the trend. The game is almost always on the second Sunday in February now. For 2027, it's slated for Feb. 14 (yep, Valentine's Day) in Los Angeles. In 2028, we’re looking at Feb. 13 in Atlanta.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Historians
Understanding the history of super bowls by date helps you spot the patterns. If you're a bettor, you'll notice that the "home field advantage" thing is mostly a myth, though the Rams and Bucs recently broke that curse. If you're a trivia buff, remember that the move to February changed everything about how the game is marketed.
To stay ahead of the curve, keep these points in mind:
- Check the Venue Early: Hosting cities often change their traffic and security laws months in advance. If you're going to Santa Clara in 2026, start looking at lodging in San Jose rather than San Francisco to save a few hundred bucks.
- The Monday After: There is a massive push in several states to make the Monday after the Super Bowl a legal holiday. Keep an eye on local legislation if you're in a big football state like Pennsylvania or Ohio.
- Historical Context Matters: When comparing modern stats to the 70s, remember the season length. A "1,000-yard rusher" in 1972 did it in 14 games, whereas today's players have 17. The dates of the Super Bowl reflect this expanding footprint.
The game isn't just about the trophy anymore. It's a massive, multi-billion dollar machine that has successfully conquered the month of February. Whether it's the Eagles stopping a three-peat or the Patriots mounting a 25-point comeback, the date on the calendar usually marks a moment when the rest of the world stops to watch.