1979 – The Los Angeles Rams become the last Super Bowl team to average just 15 points per game in the postseason, a scoring low that still benchmarks defensive‑driven championships [5].

2000 – The Baltimore Ravens allow only 26 points across three playoff games, the fewest ever, a defensive standard later matched by New England in 2026 [12].

2008 – The Super Bowl features a rare matchup of first‑ or second‑year head coaches (Mike Tomlin vs. Ken Whisenhunt), a precedent echoed in the 2026 Patriots‑Seahawks clash [12].

Feb 1, 2015 – New England defeats Seattle 28‑24 in Super Bowl XLIX, the only previous Patriots‑Seahawks championship meeting [4][6][15].

Feb 7, 2016 – Levi’s Stadium hosts Super Bowl 50, where Denver beats Carolina 24‑10, marking the venue’s first championship appearance [6][14][15].

Feb 3, 2019 – The Patriots win Super Bowl LIII 13‑3 over the Los Angeles Rams, their most recent title before a seven‑year drought [6][15].

2021 – The NFL expands to a 17‑game regular season, establishing the second‑Sunday‑in‑February Super Bowl schedule still used in 2026 [8].

2025 season – Mike Vrabel transforms the Patriots from 4‑13 to 14‑3, tying the league’s biggest single‑season win swing and positioning New England for its first Super Bowl since 2019 [1][2][12]; Sam Darnold leads Seattle to back‑to‑back 14‑win seasons, the first quarterback to do so with different teams, while the “Dark Side” defense engineered by Mike Macdonald and Aden Durde fuels the Seahawks’ NFC‑top‑seed run [1].

Jan 25, 2026 – The NFL confirms Super Bowl LX (Super Bowl 60) for Feb 8, 2026 at Levi’s Stadium, with kickoff at 6:30 p.m. ET, continuing the league’s tradition of a second‑Sunday‑February championship [8][14][15][16].

Jan 25, 2026 – NBC, Telemundo, Peacock and Universo secure broadcast rights, while the league promises live commentary in 25 languages across 195 countries, expanding its global footprint [3][8][14].

Jan 25, 2026 – Bad Bunny headlines the halftime show, becoming the first solo male Latin artist to headline the Super Bowl and delivering the entire set in Spanish; Green Day opens the ceremony, and pre‑game performances feature Charlie Puth, Brandi Carlile and Coco Jones [1][6][7][15].

Jan 25, 2026 – The NFL rolls out new accessibility measures, including ASL performances and a tactile ball‑tracking device for blind fans, to make the event more inclusive [8][10][14].

Jan 26, 2026 – The Patriots defeat the Denver Broncos 10‑7 in a snow‑laden AFC championship, with rookie quarterback Drake Maye scoring the game‑winning touchdown run and Andy Borregales nailing the decisive field goal [2][4][5][7][16][17].

Jan 26, 2026 – The Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams 31‑27 in the NFC championship; Sam Darnold throws for 346 yards and three touchdowns, then declares the win “means the world” to him [2][4][5][7][16][17].

Jan 26, 2026 – The Super Bowl features only the fourth ever head‑coach matchup of first‑ or second‑year leaders, echoing the 2008 precedent [12].

Jan 27, 2026 – Seattle’s “Sea Hawkers” Booster Club organizes a “Sunday Sendoff” as the Seahawks begin a 12‑day road trip to Santa Clara, with fans expected to line overpasses and wave 12‑flags [13].

Jan 29, 2026 – Mike Macdonald and Mike Vrabel each guide their teams to the Super Bowl in their first or second seasons, highlighting a rapid coaching turnaround after dismissing Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick two years earlier [12].

Jan 30, 2026 – Betting markets list Seattle as 4½‑point favorites over New England, while NBC sells every 30‑second commercial slot for an average $8 million, reflecting the game’s unmatched advertising value [10][3].

Jan 31, 2026 – Seattle stages a drone light show at the Mural Amphitheatre, flying units 200‑400 feet near the Space Needle to celebrate the Seahawks’ Super Bowl run [11].

Feb 1, 2026 – The Seahawks depart Renton for California, traveling by bus and charter flight; head coach Mike Macdonald says the team stays “loose, focused, confident” while maintaining normal preparation habits [9].

Feb 2, 2026 – Former President Donald Trump declines to attend the game, calling the halftime performers “terrible” and “anti‑them” in a New York Post interview, while Turning Point USA announces an alternative Kid Rock halftime show [1].

Feb 2, 2026 – NBC reports a record 127.7 million average U.S. viewers for the most recent Super Bowl, underscoring the event’s cultural dominance [3].

Feb 2, 2026 – Production crews have only six minutes between the second quarter and halftime to assemble and clear the elaborate stage for Bad Bunny’s performance, illustrating the logistical complexity of the show [3].