Super Bowl weekend is here, and many Americans are excited for the spectacle.
But just how big of an impact does it have?
Syracuse University has a course detailing all the facets of the big game beyond the field.
Dennis Deninger is a sports management professor at Syracuse University. His Super Bowl class dives into every aspect of the most-watched event every year.
“We look at how the Super Bowl affects the economy,” Deninger said. “It’s a huge part of the entertainment industry, the media, all of the different assets and facets of this game.”
This is the 13th year of the course. Deninger says he labels them using roman numerals, just like the Super Bowl. This year’s class is XIII. As the Super Bowl evolves, the class does too.
“The game has changed and its impact has changed," he said. "What we do is keep track of that. Each year there’s something new and something interesting and it’s never disappointing.”
After this particular class, the students are assigned to write a review of the Super Bowl broadcast. Before teaching at Syracuse, Deninger won multiple Emmys as a producer at ESPN. He passes his experience down to his students.
“What you do [as a producer] is you look at what does a fan want, what do the viewers want," Deninger said. “And then I take that to the students and say, ‘what are you receiving as a fan?’”
While the entire world will have its eyes on the Chiefs and Eagles this Sunday, the final assignment of this course looks at multiple Super Bowls.
“Where the students look at the overall impact that hosting several Super Bowls has on a community," said Deninger. "This is the fourth Super Bowl hosted by Arizona."
Deninger hopes his students see the big picture in an iconic event.
“To be able to see all of the different facets of sport management at work in this one major event," Deninger said.