As we continue to marvel at what an event the NFL’s Super Bowl has become each year, it is hard not to think back to what it first looked like more than 50 years ago. And, as the Kansas City Chiefs continue to return to relevancy, a look at their appearance in Super Bowl 1 is always fun. When was the first Super Bowl exactly? Who played in the inaugural game? Let’s take a look back at Super Bowl 1.
When Was the First Super Bowl?
The first-ever Super Bowl took place on January 15, 1967. The NFL representative Green Bay Packers defeated the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs 35-10. It was the first AFL-NFL World Championship, with the two leagues pitting their best against one another.
The Chiefs had an 11–2–1 record during the regular season and defeated the Buffalo Bills 31–7 in the AFL Championship Game. The Packers finished the regular season at 12–2 and defeated the Dallas Cowboys 34–27 in the NFL Championship Game.
The AFL was a relatively new league at the time, having been founded in 1960 to attempt to rival the NFL. In 1966, it was announced that the NFL and AFL would merge. Under the merger agreement, the leagues maintained separate regular-season schedules for the next four seasons—from 1966 through 1969—and then officially merged before the 1970 season to form one league with two conferences (AFC and NFL).
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So this game would officially be known as Super Bowl 1 because it was the first played after the merger agreement.
For the first Super Bowl ever, it still brought in impressive numbers. More than 60 million people watched as Bryan Bartlett “Bart” Starr completed 16 of 23 passes to go on to win the Most Valuable Player award and give the Packers their first of now four Super Bowl wins.
Although Starr won the MVP award, the lesser-known Max McGee came into the game after the team’s top wide receiver Boyd Dowler went down with an injury. McGee had only caught four balls the entire season ahead of Super Bowl 1. He went on to finish the game with seven catches for 138 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The Packers also went on to win Super Bowl II the next year.
Where Was the First Super Bowl Played?
Super Bowl 1 was played at Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. It was the first of two Super Bowls played at Memorial Coliseum, with the second being in 1973 between Miami and Washington.
Was There a Halftime Show at Super Bowl 1?
Yes, even all the way back in 1967, there was a halftime show at Super Bowl 1. Although nowhere near the spectacle that it is now, Super Bowl 1’s halftime show showcased trumpeter Al Hirt and marching bands from the University of Arizona and Grambling College.
The Grambling College Band also performed during Super Bowl II’s halftime show.