ESPN Marks 100 Days to Super Bowl LXI With Countdown of Rankings and Projections

The countdown to Super Bowl LXI is officially on. With the game set for Feb. 14, 2027, exactly 100 days out, ESPN is preparing to televise the Super Bowl for the first time and is marking the occasion with a steady stream of coverage built around all-time lists, predictions and unforgettable moments from the history of the NFL's biggest game.

Every other Sunday through February, the network's coverage will rank the top 10 Super Bowl upsets, trick plays, halftime performances and more. The project also includes projections on which teams could reach future Super Bowls and which franchises are all-in on winning a Lombardi Trophy at the end of the current season.

The most recent entry in the Super Bowl Top 10s series arrived Nov. 1, when Turron Davenport and Nate Taylor examined the best trick plays ever run on the sport's largest stage, a group headlined by the 'Philly Special' and 'Ambush.' Earlier installments covered plenty of ground: on Oct. 18, Michael DiRocco ranked the best performances by first-year players, outings that for some represented the peak of their careers and for others were only the beginning.

On Oct. 4, Marcel Louis-Jacques counted down the most improbable wins in Super Bowl history, a list featuring victories by the Patriots, Jets, Giants, Eagles and Seahawks. And on Sept. 20, Katherine Terrell turned to a more bittersweet subject, looking at the best players in NFL history who finished their careers without ever winning a Super Bowl.

Beyond the rankings, the coverage package includes a range of reported and analytical features. On Oct. 3, NFL Nation reporters assembled 13-player rosters drawn from the teams that have appeared in multiple Super Bowls. A week earlier, on Sept. 25, NFL analyst Ben Solak picked his Super Bowl winners for the 2026 through 2030 seasons.

Analytics also play a central role in the series. On Sept. 6, NFL analyst Aaron Schatz identified the top five teams that most need to win it all this season, citing aging rosters, contracts and future draft capital. In August, Schatz used DVOA to rank the best teams that fell short of reaching the big game, a group that included the 2023 Ravens.

The buildup has also leaned into history and nostalgia. In late July, NFL Nation reporters revisited the previous eight Super Bowls played in the Los Angeles market ahead of the game's 2027 return to Southern California. And in early July, Cowboys reporter Todd Archer spoke with Smith about his Super Bowl performances, which included a record five rushing touchdowns across two victories.

With 100 days remaining until kickoff on Feb. 14, 2027, the countdown coverage is set to continue every other Sunday until February, giving fans a running guide to the greatest moments, plays and performances in Super Bowl history before ESPN's first broadcast of the game.