Find out how the home team is determined in the big game and, perhaps more importantly, if they have to deal with a curse when they take the field.
The annual sports and cultural phenomenon known as the Super Bowl consists of one game to determine the NFL's champion for that season. But unlike the World Series or NBA Finals, teams do not take turns hosting games on their home turf. Instead, the site for each Super Bowl is determined well before the start of each season, with all 32 teams vying for a chance to play in the big game wherever it's held. So how is the home team determined for each Super Bowl?
How Is the Home Team Chosen for the Super Bowl?
The answer is easier than it is in other sports, where home-field (or home-court) advantage is usually awarded to the team with the better record — or, during the infamous period in MLB when home-field advantage in the World Series was determined by the outcome of the All-Star Game. In the Super Bowl, home-team designation alternates each year between conferences, with the AFC champion being named the home team in even-numbered years and the NFC champion being named the home team in odd-numbered years.
The reason this works in football is that the Super Bowl is almost always played in a neutral venue. In the NBA, NHL and MLB, there are always at least four games played in the championship series, allowing teams to host multiple home games. With the Super Bowl being a one-game event, switching back and forth between conferences makes more sense.
Who Is the Home Team in Super Bowl LIX?
The home team in Super Bowl LIX (played in February 2025) will be the team that wins the NFC Championship.
This year’s Super Bowl will be played at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, the home of the New Orleans Saints. While the Saints failed to qualify for the playoffs this season, an NFC team will be considered the home team for Super Bowl LIX, in what is a neutral site game for both of the game's participants.
It's worth noting that an NFC team being designated the home team for this particular Super Bowl has nothing to do with the game being held at an NFC team’s stadium. There have been plenty of instances where an NFC team has been considered the home team for a Super Bowl held at an AFC team’s home stadium, and vice versa.
For example, next season, the team that wins the AFC Championship will be the home team for Super Bowl LX, which will take place in Levi's Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers of the NFC.
Potential Advantages of Being the Home Team at the Super Bowl
Being the home team at the Super Bowl doesn't come with any significant benefits likely to impact the game. But there are a few implications of being the "home team" that are worth noting.
The Coin Toss
Something that could be viewed as a blessing or a curse for home teams in the Super Bowl is that they do not control the coin toss to begin the game or in overtime. The designated away team calls the coin flips in the Super Bowl. If they pick correctly, they get to decide whether to go on offense or defense first.
How might this impact the game, you ask? In Super Bowl XLI, the Chicago Bears were the home team against the Indianapolis Colts. Chicago won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff. Devin Hester ran that opening kickoff back for a touchdown on the game’s first play, underlining the importance of special teams in the big game and providing an immediate payoff to winning the coin toss and electing to receive.
Of course, winning the coin flip was purely a matter of chance and had nothing to do with the Bears being the home team. And they ended up losing the game, so there's that.
Home Uniforms
The uniform a team wears in the Super Bowl has no direct impact on the result of the game. But the home team does have the ability to dictate which uniforms they wear on the NFL’s biggest stage. That can lead to choices rooted in superstition or tradition while giving fans something to get excited about in the process.
Potential For Local Support
Regardless of whether they are home or away, a team can still have a geographic advantage over their opponent in the Super Bowl, leading to an edge in fan support. For example, if the Super Bowl is held in Houston, the Dallas Cowboys might have more fans in attendance than an opponent like the New England Patriots, based on the distance those fans would have to travel. Speaking of...
Has Any Team Ever Had Home-Field Advantage in the Super Bowl?
The team that is considered the home team in the Super Bowl rarely plays on their home field. But two teams in history have had a true home-field advantage in the Super Bowl, and it happened in back-to-back years.
The first team to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV, where they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 at Raymond James Stadium. The very next season, the Los Angeles Rams accomplished the same feat and defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 at SoFi Stadium in LA.
Ironically enough, the Rams were considered the away team in the Super Bowl held at their home stadium, thanks to the rule where home team designation alternates between conferences each season. Still, both teams that have played the Super Bowl in their home stadium ultimately won the Lombardi Trophy.
What Is the Super Bowl Home Team Curse?
For most of the Super Bowl era, there was thought to be a curse on the teams whose stadium was set to host the Super Bowl each season. That's because it took 55 years of Super Bowls for a team from the host city to finally make it to the game.
After the Buccaneers and Rams won the Super Bowl on their home field in consecutive seasons, fears of the Super Bowl curse have faded away into history.
How Can Understanding Home Team Dynamics Enhance Your Fantasy Football Strategy?
Whether a team is playing on its home field, finds itself in a true road game, or plays in a neutral site Super Bowl, one of our top NFL DFS tips for the Super Bowl is to look at how players have performed in similar environments in the past.
That means reviewing how they've played in the playoffs and in neutral site games such as international games and college bowl games. This will help you get an idea of how each player will perform in this year’s Super Bowl conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the home team selected at the Super Bowl?
Home teams in the Super Bowl are determined by alternating conferences each year, with the NFC champion being the home team in odd-numbered years and the AFC champion being the home team in even-numbered years.
Who is the home team in the Super Bowl this year?
The home team in Super Bowl LIX will be the NFC champion, as it is an odd-numbered year and thus the NFC’s turn to be designated as the host.
Has a team ever played a Super Bowl at home?
Yes, there have been two teams that have earned Super Bowl appearances in their home stadiums: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV and the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI.
Is there a home team curse in the Super Bowl?
While there was thought to be a curse preventing teams from reaching the Super Bowl in their home stadium, the two-year run where the Buccaneers and Rams accomplished that feat ended that talk.
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