A Look Back at Super Bowl LII In Minnesota, Including Several Behind-The-Scenes Events

Believe it or not, it's been 8 years since Minnesota hosted the Super Bowl.

The Twin Cities were the home to the NFL's biggest game in February of 2018, marking the second time the Land of 10,000 Lakes had hosted the massive sporting event.

The lead-up to the big game had real chances of history being made, as the Minnesota Vikings had a legitimate chance of being the first team to ever host a Super Bowl game they were competing in.

After going 13-3 and making it to the NFC Championship game, Minnesota's dreams were dashed when heading on the road to take on the Eagles, who beat up on the Vikings in a 38-7 embarrassment that set the table for the Eagles to take on the Patriots in the big game at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

Despite the Vikings falling short of making it to the big game, there were still a lot of exciting happenings during the week of the big game in the Twin Cities. I had the incredible opportunity to be part of many of the week's festivities, capturing a lot of the moments leading up to the Super Bowl.

While it didn't faze me so much, visitors from around the world got a taste of winter weather in Minnesota during the Super Bowl week. Temperatures were, at their warmest, in the teens above zero, and there were light doses of snow. It made things more authentic (and reminded the NFL why they don't host more Super Bowl games in cold-weather cities).

Here's a look back at some of those highlights and the notable people from around the country who appeared in Minnesota for Super Bowl Week.

The Grand Kickoff Of Super Bowl Week In Minnesota

After about four years of planning and preparation, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, the Super Bowl Planning Committee, the Wilf Family, and members of the NFL gathered for a kickoff press conference to highlight the week's activities around the Twin Cities area as the Super Bowl came to the "Bold North.

The event, on Monday, January 29, 2028, also noted the nearly 12,000 volunteers helping with various aspects of those festivities.

Here are the highlights of that opening press conference.

"Opening Night" Festivities Give Media Access To Players & Coaches

Super Bowl Opening Night was hosted at Xcel Energy Center, with players and coaches from the Patriots and Eagles fielding questions from members of the media, and even celebrity interviewers like JB Smoove and Guillermo from Jimmy Kimmel Live.

I caught some of the interviews, which included Tom Brady talking about fishing in Minnesota, and Bill Belichick (known for always having a scowl on his face) even cracking up over a joke for the media.

You can watch the opening night highlights here.

Country Star Brad Paisley Popped Up At the Mall Of America

Celebrity sightings are part of Super Bowl Week, and country music star Brad Paisley was one of the names appearing in Minnesota ahead of the big game. He performed a pop-up performance at the Sleep Number store at the MOA for a pile of fans and a handful of media members, all crammed into the store.

I got some video and details on his visit to the store, which you can see here.

Media Outings Gave Out-Of-Staters A Taste Of Minnesota

The Super Bowl Committee had a huge menu of activities planned to give media members from around the world a taste of Minnesota. I tagged along on some of these events, which included a trip to Stillwater for a delicious dinner and drinks with the Stillwater Mayor, as well as a visit to some wintertime attractions in town.

Another of the media outings I checked out was an ice fishing excursion on Lake Waconia. I wanted to see how out-of-state folks handled the idea of ice fishing, and I got a treat.

Among the folks who headed out were a sports talk host from Boston and an NBC Sports broadcast crew, which included former NHL player and broadcaster Jeremy Roeneck.

Get our free mobile app

A woman on NBC's broadcast team got SOOOO excited after catching a little fish; it made the whole outing worth it for everyone.

You can see highlights from that excursion, including the funny video here.

"Radio Row" Brings Out ALL The NFL Stars To The Mall Of America

The Mall of America was the home base for a lot of the festivities leading up to the Super Bowl, including the famous "Radio Row" broadcasts. TV and radio outlets from around the world gathered to interview current and former NFL stars and other notable figures.

During the course of the day I was there, Vikings legends like Matt Birk and Carl Eller were on hand, along with NFL stars like Kareem Hunt, Melvin Gordon, Greg Jennings, and more.

You can see photos and highlights from radio row here.

Fans Got To Explore The "Super Bowl Experience"

Fans had a lot of fun things to check out during Super Bowl Week in the Twin Cities. One of them was something called the "Super Bowl Experience", which was hosted at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

The experience gave fans the opportunity to hit the field in virtual reality football experiences, try football skills games, enjoy photo opportunities, and more.

One of the things I tried was a 40-yard-dash race, which shows your speed compared to NFL stars. I...well, I was faster than Tom Brady in my run. He's sadly not known for his speed, so I don't have a ton to brag about there.

You can see photos and highlights of the Super Bowl Experience here.

Fun With Fans From Around The Country

While working my way around the various fan events in the Twin Cities area, I decided to do a little "Minnesota Trivia" game, pitting an Eagles fan against a Patriots fan. At the busy Mall of America, I asked a few Minnesota-themed questions of these two out-of-state visitors to see how much they knew about the home of the Super Bowl game their favorite teams would be in later in the week.

You can check out the results in the video above.

Speaking of fans, shoutout to this guy I ran into in Downtown Minneapolis. He was hilarious and was all-out with his Bears getup.

Justin Timberlake Hosts Media Event Ahead Of His Halftime Performance

The Super Bowl Halftime Show for the game in Minnesota marked Justin Timberlake's return to the game's big stage after his infamous show with Janet Jackson in 2004.

In a press event, JT got a serenade from the media in attendance, who all sang him "Happy Birthday", noting that his birthday is January 31. During the press conference, Timberlake fielded questions that ranged from whether he thought his son should play football to who he was cheering to in the game. In response to that, he responded "Go Pack Go!", much to the dismay of Vikings fans.

Lots of speculation about what Timberlake's show would include buzzed all week long. He didn't give much information during the press conference, but a Twin Cities media outlet did catch an aerial preview through the roof of US Bank Stadium during a rehearsal.

You can see some highlights and photos from the media event here.

Vikings Stars Compete In The "Farm Bowl" Competition

While the Vikings fell short of making it to the Super Bowl, some stars of the team shone in the "Farm Bowl", which was held on the University of Minnesota campus. The event, created by Land O' Lakes, was designed to showcase the intricacies and challenges of modern agriculture, along with testing the skills of professional football players on the farm.

Six different NFL stars paired up with farmers from around the country to compete in these farm-based challenges. Vikings players Stefon Diggs and Kyle Rudolph were joined by former Vikings/Packers star Greg Jennings, former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, and former Rams/Ravens offensive lineman Jason Brown.

In the end, Stefon Diggs and his farmer counterpart hoisted the Farm Bowl trophy. It's no Lombardi, but it was still fun to watch!

You can see photos and videos from the competition here.

The Grand Finale - The Big Game

While tons of media got access to the various events throughout the week, very few got access to the game itself. I was one of the many who watched from elsewhere.

In the end, the winner of Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis was the Eagles, beating the Patriots 41-33, led by backup quarterback Nick Foles. Foles played in the big game due to starter Carson Wentz getting hurt earlier in the season.

Looking back through the lens of history, the Eagles would return to the Super Bowl, but Nick Foles and Carson Wentz wouldn't go on to enjoy the same level of success again in their careers after that season.