Each year, different stadiums host the anticipated and envisaged final game, the phenomenal Super Bowl! The 32 teams that make up the NFL, the National Football League, and the professional American Football League, or NFL, are split into the AFC, the American Football Conference, and the NFL’s National Football Conference. Teams play a regular season of seventeen games against opponents from their division, conference, and occasionally other conferences. Each of the conferences consists of four divisions. The Super Bowl, the championship game that crowns the league winner, is the pinnacle of the NFL season. Every year, the first Sunday in February is the game all football fans eagerly await. Teams must first earn a spot in the playoffs, which are comprised of 14 teams, seven from each conference, with the best regular-season records, to advance to the Super Bowl. Three rounds comprise the NFL playoffs after the season: the Divisional Round, the Conference Championships, and the Wild Card Round. The result of the AFC and NFC Conference Champions’ Super Bowl ultimately decides who will be the NFL champion. In 2024, two teams familiar with each other in the NFL’s biggest game met again as the San Francisco 49ers faced the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, February 11th, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This Super Bowl this year was like no other. It was overflowing with cheers and applause and was filled with people who all came to watch. The excitement builds up from each football game to the playoffs and the Super Bowl. On the day of the Super Bowl, the excitement reached a fever pitch as fans gathered to watch the game, whether it was in person at the stadium, at home with friends and family, or at sports bars and other venues. Along with friendly rivalry between fans of the opposing teams, there was a strong sense of camaraderie among the crowd. Throughout the entire game, the energy was unquestionably intense, with every play, touchdown, and turnover eliciting cheers or groans from the spectators. The halftime show, often featuring top musical artists and extravagant performances, adds another layer of excitement and energy to the event. 

This year’s halftime show was brought to us by Usher, who also teamed up with a battery of guest singers, including the infamous Alicia Keys. The 2004 hit song “Caught Up” was the superstar singer’s opening number. He then performed “U Do Not Have To Call,” followed by Usher’s first featured guest of the night, who graced the stage, sitting at a bright red piano. Singer Alicia Keys played her solo song “If I Ain’t Got You” before she and Usher played their duet “My Boo.” Usher’s hometown of Atlanta was honored as the show came to a close with a rendition of “Turn Down For What” performed by Lil Jon, followed by Ludacris’s appearance on stage for the grand finale, which featured the song “Yeah!” that was played the most in 2004. And finally, during the last minutes of overtime, the Kansas City Chiefs were once again victorious! The Kansas City Chiefs are the first NFL champions in nearly 20 years to win back-to-back titles after winning their third Super Bowl in five years. 

The Super Bowl was not only a display of elite athletic competition but also a cultural phenomenon that brought people together from all walks of life to celebrate the true meaning of the sport, the spectacle, and the shared experience of one of the largest events in American sports. This beloved event is truly loved by so many and continues to be one of the most anticipated of this year’s happenings. The ACP family and all football fans worldwide look forward to seeing what football has in store for us next. Go Knights!