LOS ANGELES — The humble beginnings of the Super Bowl halftime show have mostly been forgotten, but the University of Arizona still remembers.
This year's Super Bowl performance may be the biggest yet, with performances by Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar. It's the latest in a long line of over-the-top and bombastic concerts during the game's halftime.
The halftime show didn't always have the biggest names in music performing. The tradition began during the first Super Bowl in 1967 between the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs and relied on the classic marching band performances of high school and college football games to put on a show.
The first marching band the Super Bowl invited? The University of Arizona Symphonic Marching Band.
See the University of Arizona's 1967 performance for yourself here at the Arizona Arts YouTube channel:
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The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made the State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers also play at the Footprint. Phoenix has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Cactus Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall; and Cactus League Spring Training.
