The First Super Bowl Had 30,000 Empty Seats
Super Bowl I drew 61,946 fans to the Los Angeles Coliseum, and it was not officially called the Super Bowl.
The first Super Bowl was played on January 15, 1967, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. At the time it was the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10.
The empty seats
The official attendance was 61,946. The Packers' team history says there were 30,000 empty seats in the Coliseum, and it blames confusion over whether the game would be blacked out on local television. Sports Illustrated lists ticket prices of $6, $10 and $12.
Where the name came from
Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt is credited with the name. His children played with a bouncy toy called the Super Ball, and Hunt wrote to commissioner Pete Rozelle that he had kiddingly called the game the 'Super Bowl,' a name that could be improved upon. Packers.com notes the name became official in the third year, when the first two games were renamed Super Bowl I and II.
Quick answers
- Did the first Super Bowl sell out?
- No. The official attendance was 61,946, with about 30,000 empty seats at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
- What was the first Super Bowl called?
- The AFL-NFL World Championship Game.
- How much were tickets to Super Bowl I?
- $6, $10 and $12.
Sources
- Packers.com, Super Bowl I to remember
- Sports Illustrated, NFL history in 95 objects: Super Bowl I ticket
- CBS Sports, Why is it called the Super Bowl?
If you think anything on this page is wrong, we want to know.
One football fact a day.
Sourced, short, and nothing to do with predictions.
Keep going
THE NUMBERAn NFL Kickoff Can Legally Have 12 Men On The Field. The 12th Holds The Ball
THE NUMBERTwo Taunting Flags Eject An NFL Player. Neither One Has To Be Flagrant.
THE NUMBERAn NFL Coach Used To Need 2 Winning Challenges For A Third. Now It Takes 1.
THE NUMBER