Sports Poll: Americans To NFL: Move The Super Bowl To A Holiday Weekend, Quinnipiac University National Sports Poll Finds; NFL Fans Favor Expanding Regular Season To 18 Games
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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has talked about the possibility of extending the regular NFL season, which would move the date of the Super Bowl to President's Day weekend, a 3-day holiday weekend. That way, the Super Bowl would always be followed by a federal holiday on Monday. A majority of Americans (56 percent) give the idea of a holiday weekend Super Bowl a thumbs up, while 18 percent oppose it and 26 percent did not offer an opinion, according to a Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pea-ack) University national sports poll of adults released today. The survey was conducted in collaboration with the Quinnipiac University School of Communications.
Support for moving the Super Bowl to President's Day weekend is even higher among NFL fans who 64 - 18 percent support the idea, with 18 percent not offering an opinion.
"There are few things people agree on, but one might be that the Monday after the Super Bowl should be a day off. This makes perfect sense," said Nick Pietruszkiewicz, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Program Director of Sports Communications, Quinnipiac University.
EXTENDING THE REGULAR SEASON
Another idea the NFL is considering: adding a game to what is now a 17-game regular season and removing a preseason game. NFL fans 60 - 21 percent support the idea, with 18 percent not offering an opinion.
Most fans who support extending the regular season to 18 games think the benefits outweigh the risks. Considering that adding a regular season game would increase players' salaries but also increase their risk of injury, 61 percent think it would be worth it, while 33 percent think it would not be worth it.
"It's a matter of time before the NFL goes to an 18-game season. Shortening the preseason works for everyone involved," added Pietruszkiewicz.
BAD BUNNY
Nearly half of Americans (48 percent) approve of the NFL's decision to have the artist known as Bad Bunny perform the Super Bowl halftime show in February, while 29 percent disapprove and 24 percent did not offer an opinion.
There are big gaps when considering political party, race, and age.
Democrats (74 - 10 percent) and independents (52 - 22 percent) approve of the NFL's decision to have Bad Bunny perform the Super Bowl halftime show, while Republicans (63 - 16 percent) disapprove, reflecting recent criticism of the pick by the Trump administration.
A larger share of Black adults (61 - 19 percent) and Hispanic adults (65 - 20 percent) approve of the decision than white adults (41 - 34 percent).
There is a big difference when considering age with 18 to 34 year olds (64 - 17 percent) approving of the decision compared to adults 65 years of age and over who are divided, as 36 percent approve and 37 percent disapprove.
"The NFL chose a global superstar to perform for the Super Bowl Halftime Show, yet the immense popularity of Bad Bunny's music can't escape the political tensions currently felt across the United States. For anyone who still argues that sports are apolitical, the polarized reactions suggest otherwise," said Brittani Webb, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Media Studies, Quinnipiac University School of Communications.
NFL INJURIES
On the topic of injuries to professional football players, 42 percent of Americans think the NFL is doing about the right amount to help avoid serious injuries to professional football players, 30 percent think the NFL is doing too little, and 4 percent think the NFL is doing too much to help avoid serious injuries to professional football players. Twenty-three percent did not offer an opinion.
Among NFL fans, 54 percent think the NFL is doing about the right amount to help avoid serious injuries to professional football players, 30 percent think the NFL is doing too little, and 6 percent think the NFL is doing too much to help avoid serious injuries to professional football players. Ten percent did not offer an opinion.
"The NFL has been deliberate in demonstrating its commitment to player safety and long-term health, implementing stricter concussion protocols, penalizing unnecessarily rough plays, and modifying game rules to minimize injury risks. These efforts appear to be resonating with fans, though football as a sport will likely always face some criticism," added Webb.
DYNAMIC KICKOFF RULE
NFL fans weigh in on the dynamic kickoff rule that was introduced last year and intended to encourage more kickoff returns and reduce the speed of collisions on the field.
Roughly 4 out of 10 NFL fans (42 percent) prefer the dynamic kickoff rule, while 37 percent prefer the previous kickoff rule, with 19 percent not offering an opinion.
1,519 U.S. adults nationwide were surveyed from October 16th - 20th with a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points, including the design effect.
The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Doug Schwartz, Ph.D. since 1994, conducts independent, non-partisan national and state polls on politics and issues. Surveys adhere to industry best practices and are based on probability-based samples using random digit dialing with live interviewers calling landlines and cell phones.
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Poll Questions
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Question 14. Thinking about professional football, would you describe yourself as a super fan, a fan, a casual fan, or not a fan?
ADULTS....................................... AGE IN YRS.............. Tot Men Wom 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Super fan 10% 13% 7% 8% 10% 12% 9% Fan 22 23 20 17 19 27 24 Casual fan 29 30 29 25 33 29 32 Not a fan 38 34 42 51 38 32 34 DK/NA 1 - 1 - - - 1 -
Question 15. Do you think the NFL is doing too much, too little or about the right amount to help avoid serious injuries to professional football players?
ADULTS....................................... AGE IN YRS.............. Tot Men Wom 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Too much 4% 6% 2% 2% 7% 6% 2% Too little 30 28 33 37 33 22 31 About right 42 48 38 41 38 49 43 DK/NA 23 19 27 20 22 24 24 NFL FAN Q14............................... YES........................ Tot Super Fan Casual NotAFan Too much 6% 9% 6% 5% 2% Too little 30 28 26 33 32 About right 54 60 62 47 25 DK/NA 10 3 6 16 42 -
Question 16. The NFL is considering moving the Super Bowl to President's Day weekend, so that it's always followed by a federal holiday on Monday. Do you support or oppose this change?
ADULTS....................................... AGE IN YRS.............. Tot Men Wom 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Support 56% 60% 53% 63% 64% 57% 42% Oppose 18 16 20 16 12 17 30 DK/NA 26 24 28 21 23 27 29 NFL FAN Q14............................... YES........................ Tot Super Fan Casual NotAFan Support 64% 61% 71% 59% 46% Oppose 18 27 17 16 18 DK/NA 18 12 12 25 36 -
Question 16a. The NFL is considering moving the Super Bowl to President's Day weekend, so that it's always followed by a federal holiday on Monday. Do you support or oppose this change? COMBINED WITH (If support or oppose q16) Do you (support/oppose) this strongly or somewhat?
ADULTS....................................... AGE IN YRS.............. Tot Men Wom 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Support strongly 23% 28% 19% 21% 25% 31% 17% Support somewhat 33 32 33 42 39 26 25 Oppose somewhat 8 8 8 10 6 5 11 Oppose strongly 10 8 12 6 6 11 19 DK/NA 26 24 28 21 24 27 29 NFL FAN Q14............................... YES........................ Tot Super Fan Casual NotAFan Support strongly 31% 43% 41% 19% 12% Support somewhat 33 18 30 40 33 Oppose somewhat 7 8 9 6 8 Oppose strongly 10 19 8 9 10 DK/NA 18 12 12 25 37 -
Question 17. Do you approve or disapprove of the NFL's decision to have the artist known as Bad Bunny perform the Super Bowl halftime show in February?
ADULTS....................................... AGE IN YRS.............. Tot Men Wom 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Approve 48% 44% 51% 64% 52% 39% 36% Disapprove 29 30 27 17 27 38 37 DK/NA 24 26 21 20 21 23 27 Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hsp Approve 16% 74% 52% 41% 61% 65% Disapprove 63 10 22 34 19 20 DK/NA 22 16 26 25 20 15 NFL FAN Q14............................... YES........................ Tot Super Fan Casual NotAFan Approve 49% 48% 52% 48% 46% Disapprove 32 34 31 31 24 DK/NA 19 18 17 21 30 -
Question 18. (If professional football super fan, fan or casual fan q14) The dynamic kickoff, introduced last year, is intended to encourage more kickoff returns and reduce the speed of collisions on the field. Do you prefer the dynamic kickoff rule or the previous kickoff rule?
ADULTS....................................... NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE FANS Q14............ AGE IN YRS.............. Tot Men Wom 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Dynamic 42% 44% 40% 56% 40% 35% 41% Previous 37 43 31 30 36 46 37 DEPENDS(VOL) 1 2 1 1 3 - 1 DK/NA 19 11 28 12 20 18 22 NFL FAN Q14......... Super Fan Casual Dynamic 46% 44% 40% Previous 47 43 30 DEPENDS(VOL) 1 1 2 DK/NA 6 12 28 -
Question 19. (If professional football super fan, fan or casual fan q14) The current NFL season has 17 regular season games and three preseason games. The NFL is considering adding another regular season game and removing a preseason game. Do you support or oppose this change?
ADULTS....................................... NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE FANS Q14............ AGE IN YRS.............. Tot Men Wom 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Support 60% 63% 57% 65% 63% 66% 51% Oppose 21 23 20 18 19 17 30 DK/NA 18 14 23 17 19 17 20 NFL FAN Q14......... Super Fan Casual Support 70% 66% 53% Oppose 26 22 19 DK/NA 4 12 27 -
Question 19a. (If professional football super fan, fan or casual fan q14) The current NFL season has 17 regular season games and 3 preseason games. The NFL is considering adding another regular season game and removing a preseason game. Do you support or oppose this change? COMBINED WITH (If support or oppose q19) Do you (support/oppose) this strongly or somewhat?
ADULTS....................................... NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE FANS Q14............ AGE IN YRS.............. Tot Men Wom 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Support strongly 21% 27% 14% 19% 21% 29% 19% Support somewhat 39 36 43 47 42 36 31 Oppose somewhat 10 10 11 9 12 7 15 Oppose strongly 11 13 9 9 7 10 15 DK/NA 18 14 23 17 19 17 20 NFL FAN Q14......... Super Fan Casual Support strongly 44% 24% 11% Support somewhat 26 41 42 Oppose somewhat 6 11 11 Oppose strongly 20 11 8 DK/NA 4 12 27 -
Question 20. (If support q19) Adding a regular season game would increase players' salaries but also increase their risk of injury. With that in mind, do you think adding a game would be worth it, or not worth it?
ADULTS....................................... NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE FANS Q14............ SUPPORT ADDING REGULAR SEASON GAME Q19....... AGE IN YRS.............. Tot Men Wom 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Worth it 61% 69% 50% 54% 70% 63% 49% Not worth it 33 26 41 42 24 30 43 DK/NA 6 5 9 4 5 7 8 NFL FAN Q14......... Super Fan Casual Worth it 67% 65% 54% Not worth it 25 31 38 DK/NA 8 4 8