The Super Bowl is returning to a place that has left an indelible mark on the history of the NFL: Los Angeles.
Super Bowl LXI will take place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Feb. 14 and be televised on ESPN for the first time.
Los Angeles last hosted the Super Bowl in 2022 when the Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in their home stadium.
It was the first time the game was played in the Los Angeles market since Jan. 31, 1993, when the Dallas Cowboys trounced the Buffalo Bills 52-17 in Super Bowl XXVII at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
Getting the NFL's biggest game back in the City of Angels returns it to its roots. The first Super Bowl was played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1967, a 35-10 win for the Green Bay Packers over the Kansas City Chiefs. It wasn't even named the Super Bowl at that time, as it was originally called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game.
Super Bowl LXI will be the ninth Super Bowl played in the L.A. area, the third-highest total of any market, trailing only Miami and New Orleans (11).
ESPN Illustration The previous eight meetings provided plenty of drama and served as a catalyst and an encore for some of the league's proudest dynasties. The Pittsburgh Steelers wrapped up their dominant 1970s run by beating the Rams at the Rose Bowl in Super Bowl XIV in 1980, and the Cowboys claimed their first of three Super Bowl titles in the 1990s with that win against Buffalo.
There have been incredible performances from the likes of quarterbacks Phil Simms, Troy Aikman and Bart Starr, along with the rushing prowess of John Riggins and multiple instances of defensive dominance. John Madden also won a Super Bowl as a coach in the L.A. market, leading the Oakland Raiders to a 32-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI at the Rose Bowl in 1977.
The highest of highs came in 1973, when the Miami Dolphins capped the NFL's only perfect season with a 14-7 win against Washington at the Coliseum in Super Bowl VII.
Which team and players will leave their mark this year remains to be seen, but Hollywood is ready for some new stars. Read more about every Los Angeles Super Bowl below. -- Nick Wagoner
Editor's note: This story was originally published in 2022 and has been updated to include Super Bowl LVI. ESPN will count down to February's big game with Super Bowl stories every month.
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