The Philadelphia Eagles are headed back to the Super Bowl, after knocking off the Washington Commanders by a final score of 55-23 in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game. On the other side of the field in New Orleans? The Kansas City Chiefs, who are looking to become the first team in league history to win three consecutive Super Bowls.
Super Bowl 59: Who is considered home team and how is it decided?
The Eagles and the Chiefs are meeting in Super Bowl LIX. Who is the home team?
Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
For the Eagles, this is their first trip back to the big game since LVII, when they lost to the Chiefs by a final score of 38-35. Just like that season, the Eagles will be the designated “home” team for Super Bowl LIX, which takes place in New Orleans.
Why are the Eagles the home team for Super Bowl LIX? Rather simply, since the very first Super Bowl the two conferences have flipped the designation each season. In Super Bowl I between the Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers, the Packers were designated as the home team.
With the home team designation flipping every season, that means in odd-numbered Super Bowls the NFC is the designated home team, and the AFC is the designated home team in even-numbered Super Bowls. The Chiefs were the home team in Super Bowl LVIII a season ago.
As for what the “home” designation means, it allows that team — this season the Eagles — to pick their uniform for the game, forcing the away team to wear the contrasting uniform design. Back in Super Bowl LVII Philadelphia chose to wear their green jerseys, leaving the Chiefs to play in their road white jerseys.
It also means that Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will call the coin toss ahead of Super Bowl LIX.
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