SUPER BOWL XLVIII – NFL’s Second Outdoor Cold Weather Title Game Since 1975 (A Look Back)

The NFL will hold its first (planned) cold-weather Super Bowl in an open-air stadium on February 2, 2014 at MetLife Stadium. No typo there, as a Super Bowl was played in adverse weather nearly three decades ago in Louisiana. The only problem was that the location needed to be changed at the 11th hour, basically, from pristine conditions under a dome to a wet and slick surface in low temperatures.

So, trivia whizzes – Super Bowl XLVIII will NOT be the first one played in a wintery setting. So give the proper Super Bowl props where they are deserved.

Back in 1975, Super Bowl IX was scheduled to be played in the brand new Louisiana Superdome. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings were going to open the modern New Orleans domed stadium in grand fashion, but the only problem was that the construction had yet to be completed in time. So with little choice, the NFL had to make a decision to move the game basically the night before to Tulane Stadium, the site of two previous Super Bowl games.

The weather did not cooperate with league officials, as the thermometer read 46 degrees at kickoff. Cloudy skies and a windy afternoon (2:00 pm start time back then) were bad enough, but it had rained the night before and the field was wet and slick, as well. So the game ended up being a low scoring affair, 16-6 in favor of the Steelers.

This probably changed a lot of odds in the gambling aspect of the game, especially with late bets being made once the decision had been made to play the game outdoors. This will once again be the case come February and the 2014 Super Bowl betting is a lot higher than it was in 1975.

Photo by William J. Hauser