Getty U.S. Bank Stadium will host the 2018 Super Bowl.
The 2018 Super Bowl will take place Sunday, February 4 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern on NBC. Super Bowl LII is the technical name of the big game in keeping with the NFL’s tradition of using Roman numerals, as this year marks the 52nd edition of the big game. Minneapolis, Minnesota will host this year’s game at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings. The stadium opened in 2016, and seats 66,200 people.
The New England Patriots will take on the Philadelphia Eagles. The Patriots will open as favorites over the Eagles. New England is going for their sixth Super Bowl win in franchise history. This marks the Eagles third Super Bowl appearance, but Philadelphia is still looking for their first title.
The two teams get an extra week off before the big matchup.
Here are the details on the 2018 Super Bowl.
1. Minneapolis, Minnesota Will Host Super Bowl 2018 at U.S. Bank Stadium
The NFL has traditionally avoided cold weather locales for the Super Bowl, but have made a few exceptions in recent years including making Minnesota the host of Super Bowl 52. The recently built stadium opened in 2016 featuring a unique glass design inspired by the shapes of ice found in the Mississippi River. According to Architectural Digest, the new stadium cost $1.1 billion to build.
You may remember the Metrodome, the Vikings previous home, had major issues after the roof collapsed during a storm.
While U.S. Bank Stadium is covered, it does not look like a traditional domed stadium. John Hutchings, principal architect at HKS, spoke with Architectural Digest about the unique shape of the new roof.
“We noticed that centuries ago, they had very steep roofs to assist in getting the snow off the roof,” Hutchings told Architectural Digest. “So we implemented that design in our structure, and by doing so, we were actually able to have less steel tonnage in the roof than we had expected.”
2. Justin Timberlake Headlines the Super Bowl 52 Halftime Show
Justin Timberlake is no stranger to Super Bowl halftime performances, but 2018 marks his first Super Bowl halftime as a solo act. According to E Online, Timberlake performed as part of the group ‘N Sync in 2001 and alongside Janet Jackson in 2004.
Timberlake spoke wtih E Online about what fans can expect to see during this year’s performance.
“I believe it’s also the place where there’s nothing wrong with giving people what they want,” Timberlake told E Online. “My biggest challenge is what is my fingerprint on that show come February 4th. It’s going to go by quick.”
Pink will sing the national anthem prior to the game. Timberlake follows Lady Gaga’s 2017 performance in the Super Bowl LI halftime.
3. The Face Value Price of Super Bowl LII Tickets Range From $950 to $5,000
Yahoo Sports reported Super Bowl 2018 tickets will start at $950 for the cheapest tickets while club seats are $5,000 a piece. These are the face value prices of tickets, and the secondary market for seats is likely to be a lot higher. This is especially true if the Vikings can pull off the rare feat of playing in a Super Bowl at home. If Minnesota makes the Super Bowl, ticket prices will sky rocket. Yahoo Sports estimates tickets would go for as much as six times the face value price if the Vikings can defeat the Eagles to advance to the big game.
Ticket prices in many of the sections are higher for the Super Bowl than it is for the entire Vikings season ticket package. Yahoo Sports details the club seating pricing and layout.
Delta Sky360 Club seats behind the NFC sideline – comprised of five premium lower bowl sections between the 20-yard lines – have a face value of $5,000 per seat. This swath of tickets typically falls into the hands of super VIPs such as the biggest league sponsors, family of high ranking executives and celebrities. To put that price in perspective, one Vikings season ticket (encompassing 10 games) in this area costs $4,000 per year. That’s $1,000 less than the face price of one Super Bowl ticket in the same section.
4. NBC Will Televise Super Bowl 2018 With a 6:30 p.m. Eastern Kickoff
NBC will have the unique opportunity of broadcasting the Super Bowl, then four days later kicking off the Winter Olympics. Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth are expected to be in the booth to call the game. According to the Star Tribune, Mike Tirico will be in South Korea for the Winter Olympics rather than in Minneapolis for the big game.
NBC producer Jim Bell spoke with the Star Tribune about the network’s plan to capitalize on the opportunity.
“It is an unusual platform to get to promote the Olympics during the Super Bowl,” Bell told the Star Tribune. “We are still making our plans for that, but it’s safe to say that if you are watching the Super Bowl, you’ll know that the Olympics are coming up a few days later.”
NBC’s pre-game coverage begins at 1 p.m. Eastern, and will run until kickoff.
5. Tom Brady Will Be Playing for His Sixth Super Bowl Ring
The Patriots needed a late fourth quarter comeback against the Jaguars to win the AFC Championship and advance to his eighth Super Bowl. Brady has an opportunity to win his sixth Super Bowl ring, and his second set of back-to-back titles. Brady may be 40, but has shown no signs of slowing down.
Last year, Brady topped Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw for the most Super Bowl wins of any quarterback. Another Lombardi trophy would add to Brady’s lead. Brady along with Bill Belichick have led the Patriots to all five of their franchise’s Super Bowl wins.
Super Bowl 52 marks the Patriots 10th Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.