Every year, toward the beginning of February, Americans celebrate one of the biggest sporting events of the year: The Super Bowl. The National Football League’s top teams from each conference go head-to-head to claim the championship title.

Last year, the historic Super Bowl LI featured a comeback from a 25-point deficit. This year, the New England Patriots find themselves in the Super Bowl once again, to face off against a red-hot Philadelphia Eagles team.

But it’s not just the game that makes the Super Bowl a spectacle that appeals to a diverse audience; the halftime show and the commercials make it distinct from other sports’ championship games. At Vernon Hills High School, the Super Bowl’s relevance as a big event has remained.

In a survey of 167 Vernon Hills High School students, respondents were fairly split on the reason why they watch the Super Bowl. While about 42 percent said they watched for the game itself, 31 percent watched for the halftime show and 27 percent watched for the commercials.

“I watch for the halftime show. It’s usually a good performance,” Alberto Uribe (12) said.

This year’s halftime show will feature Justin Timberlake. He will become the first musician with three halftime show performances at Super Bowls.

Another person who is very familiar to Super Bowls is Tom Brady. The Patriots’ starting quarterback will appear in the Super Bowl for the eighth time in his fifteen years as a starter.

“[Tom Brady is] impressive. He should be well recognized for what he’s done and what he’s accomplished,” Nick Huemann (11) said.

With what should be another thrilling Super Bowl, students will surely watch it as usual. More than sixty percent of students said they either host or attend some type of watch party. Whether that’s with friends or family, it shows that people like to get together for the Super Bowl.

“It sounds like it’s still a spectacle. Everyone’s excited about it, and they’ll either have friends or family over and just get together, eat, and watch the game,” Mr. Cortez, an English teacher and football coach, said.

There’s more to the big game than just a championship. For some staff members, like Ms. Childers, a monitor, the game’s ability to bring family and friends together has remained.

“Every year for the Super Bowl, we celebrate it with friends that we don’t see almost all year long,” Ms. Childers explained. “We have a standing date for the Super Bowl.”

The Super Bowl is so widely celebrated that Ms. Childers mentioned, at this point, it can be held among other holidays.

“Like Valentine’s Day, or the Fourth of July, there’s the Super Bowl. It’s a fun day,” Ms. Childers said.

The Super Bowl is still widely relevant among faculty and students. For most, it means a good time with family and friends. The New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles will battle for a championship on Sunday, Feb. 4.