Issue #249: Super Bowl LX

By Derrick Ernst

February 05, 2026

Personal Finance

Back by popular demand. This is admittedly one of my favorite TDF segments. For those of you who may not know what I’m talking about, for every SB TDF has been around for, I’ve calculated the cost of what a weekend trip would be to attend the big game. Let’s revisit what prior year’s would’ve run you before diving into this year’s tally.

• 2024: $11,800 (hosted in Las Vegas)

• 2025: $13,150 (hosted in New Orleans)

That 11% increase blew my mind considering its comp was Vegas.

So here are the ground rules:

• Single traveler

• Flying round-trip from Minneapolis, MN

• Traveling on Friday, February 6 through Monday, February 9

Same budgeting buckets apply as previous years. I think one thing I need to be mindful of is adjusting for inflation where it makes sense. $100 two years ago isn’t getting you what is does today. By the way, I’m writing this on Tuesday (February 3). I suppose when you consider that, one of the ground rules should be “last minute planner.” LOL.

Flight (round trip): $1,120

Uffdah. I told my wife the other day that it feels like the minimum cost to get your butt on a flight these days is $500. Feels just like yesterday it was $300. Too bad, a flight to SF this weekend will run you multipliers of that.

Minneapolis is a Delta hub I have a their branded credit card that allows for free checked bags and free priority seating. These perks made this flight worth it versus flying other airlines. They did offer cheaper options, but when you add in all the ancillary costs, it all came out to be virtually the same.

Source: Delta

Hotel (three nights): $2,250

I think we can all agree that we’re not staying at the Ritz, but we’re not staying in a cardboard box either. Any middle of the road hotel around the stadium was in the $500-$1,000 range, so we’ll split the range and call it $750. This was the hotel I was eyeing (approx. 2 mile walk from the stadium).

Ticket: $5,110

The main event. If there’s any benefit to traveling as a single, it’s getting into the game — you have a lot of freedom when you don’t need to find pairs of seats. You might need to bring binoculars though (row 27 is just one below the top row). This was the cheapest seat I could find (courtesy of StubHub).

Uber/Taxi (five rides): $350

This is where things start to get iffy. It’s 40 miles between the airport and hotel/stadium. I’d have to imagine that trip alone is $100. Take that x2 and we’re already a couple Benjamin’s in. Add in a few more trips throughout the weekend (at surge pricing) and transportation will cost you.

Food/Beverages: $750

The most unpredictable bucker of them all. Eating out every breakfast, lunch, and dinner adds up. Consider the astronomical prices at the game and it probably makes sense to make a run to the grocery store to stock up on a few items. Then again, if you’re traveling to the Super Bowl, you’re looking to have a good time. That probably doesn’t mean eating cereal in your hotel room.

Gambling: $100

I’ve brought this down dramatically versus previous years, despite headlines like these:

The reason I say this is because:

Because there are apps like PrizePicks that allow for player prop bets, having some action on the game is a must. If this isn’t you, use these funds to treat yourself to something more up your alley.

Souvenirs: $150

My guess is that any sort of T-shirt with LX embroidered on it will run you $50+. Make it a polo or Q-zip and it’s probably close to $100. Just remember to not forget to bring home your souvenir cup from the game.

Shows/Activities: $500

Maybe you hit up a golf course on Saturday. Maybe you see a pop-up concert. Maybe you head out to a vineyard. Whatever is decided, it’ll cost you (and probably more than you think). If I’ve learned anything about budgeting it’s plan for more than is to be expected. I’d rather overshot estimates and feel like I’ve “won” by not spending all that I thought I would versus having it the other way.

Miscellaneous: $250

It would be foolish to think nothing unexpected will come about. Consider yourself covered with these funds.

GRAND TOTAL: $10,580

Yes, we’re still in the five digits, but it’s the cheapest trip yet and a 20% decrease versus last year. I don’t have much interest in traveling leisurely to SF, but if it involved the SB, I could be persuaded.

Side note before moving on, flying into San Jose was several hundred dollars more expensive than flying into SF, which is why I went that route.

What a Joke

I hope none of you watched the Pro Bowl like I did. Well, I didn’t watch the entire game, if you even want to call it that. The Pro Bowl was an embarrassment when there was tackling involved. It’s an even bigger embarrassment when it’s flag football. I could be wrong, but I think they made the switch the flag football when it was announced it would be featured at the Olympics. Even so, it doesn’t make for good TV. I would bet good money this will be witnessed by the masses in a few years when it’s on a national stage.

Why do we watch football? A few things come to my mind:

• It’s a sport that consists of some of the best athletes in the world doing things that 99.99% of us can’t

• Games are scarce which makes each have a certain level of severity

• There’s a level of physicality that’s synonymous with something like UFC

There are many more, but where I’m going is that the Pro Bowl is none of these and the players recognize this. Because of this, the entire event is a big mockery of talented athletes forced into doing something talentless. When this happens, you’re left with a joke that needs to be abolished.