Students at UMKC are gearing up for Super Bowl LIX celebrations this Sunday, eager to watch the big game during a historic moment for Kansas City.
The Kansas City Chiefs have redefined what it means to be a winning franchise, marking the team’s fifth time in the Super Bowl in the last six years. Fans also hope to see their third consecutive win which has never been done in Super Bowl history.
This level of success is so special considering its 50-year championship drought before the 2020 victory. The excitement throughout the city is more remarkable than ever, and UMKC students are particularly excited for the watch parties, food and half-time show.
“I’m having a watch social with my fraternity brothers,” said junior marketing student Matthew Summers. “It is going to be a potluck kind of thing, so we are going to have a bunch of different snacks and food. It’s going to be fun.”
The impact the team has made has transformed the city for many die-hard fans who celebrate with such passion. As some students prepare to host their first ever watch party, others reminisce about the first time they hosted their friends over for the big game and now think of it as a college tradition.
“For the past two Super Bowls my friends have come together to watch the game,” said junior biology major Baran Basu. “This year we are running it back.”
Living in Kansas City during the Chiefs’ dominance is an unforgettable experience, regardless of whether you are a fan or not. From parades to packed sports bars, the energy throughout the city has become a part of its identity.
“I’m going to cheer for the Chiefs this Super Bowl, but to be honest I don’t know too much about them,” said senior business administration student Natalie Gutierrez. “I just like their aesthetic and I look good in red.”
The same excitement felt throughout the city is reflected on its college campuses. At UMKC students have embraced their own game-day traditions. “I drink the same beer,” said junior finance student Gunnar Boughan. “It’s a Coors Banquet, and I drink it in the second quarter.”
The Super Bowl serves as a unifying event in Kansas City, bringing people closer beyond the game of football.
“I think it starts from the community like the parade,” said Boughan. “Overall everyone is interested in one thing, in one game, all at once, it just snowballs from there.”
