Reschedule Super Bowl; Late Sunday Hurts School, Business

Ever since I was a kid I have looked forward to the Super Bowl. However, I’ve always had one complaint about the game: its timing.

I grew up on the East coast, and the game starts at 6:30 p.m. This start time means the game does not end until around 10:30 p.m. When I was young, the ending time meant that I either had to go to bed before the end of the game or plead with my parents to stay up for this “special occasion.”

As I got older, this dislike of the Super Bowl’s timing remained. Because of the game’s ending time, I would not be able spend time with friends and family after the game. I would also usually be tired at work the next day.

Many kids and adults have the same complaints and concerns. Parents have written guides for other parents on how to deal with the great Super Bowl vs. Bedtime Dilemma. Cincinnati Public Schools and other schools in the area have taken a proactive approach and cancelled classes for the Monday after the game.

Millions of adults call out "sick" on the Monday after the Super Bowl. As a result, businesses lose billions of dollars.

Two alternatives exist to fix the issues surrounding the timing of the game. First, the NFL could change the scheduling. The Super Bowl could change its start time to 4 p.m. Eastern (1 p.m. Pacific).

In this scenario, the game would be over by 8 p.m. on the East coast. Kids would have time to get some sleep before Monday, and adults would have time to spend with friends and family after the game but before it gets too late.

Alternatively, the Super Bowl could be played on Saturday night. The advantage to a Saturday night game is that most people could sleep-in on Sunday (because of no school or work) so going to sleep early would not be a huge concern.

The second alternative is to make the day after the Super Bowl into a national holiday. Such a designation would minimize the need to go to sleep early on Sunday night. Various petitions, such as a 2017 one from Kraft Heinz, have been circulated.

The alternative more likely to happen would be to change the start time or day of the game. To do so, the NFL would merely change the scheduled time of the game.

A national holiday would be much more difficult to enact. It would have to pass both houses of Congress and then be signed by the president.

Many political considerations go into the creation of a national holiday, and it is likely that many are seeking holiday status for various days. The political ramifications, therefore, make this scenario unlikely.

I hope that one of the alternatives is implemented. Regardless, I will be watching the game!