All week we have been counting down the Top 50 Greatest Sports Moments in Superdome History, in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the Dome on August 3.
Last week we covered moments #50-40, #40-31, #30-21, 20-10
Top 50 Greatest Sports Moments in Superdome History (50-41) – Magnolia Coast Sports
Top 50 Greatest Sports Moments in Superdome History (40-31) – Magnolia Coast Sports
Top 50 Greatest Sports Moments in Superdome History – Day 3: 30-21 – Magnolia Coast Sports
Top 50 Greatest Sports Moments in Superdome History — Day 4: #20-11 – Magnolia Coast Sports
After putting together the list I realized that I had left four key important events off the list. So this will be a countdown of the 14 Greatest Sports Moments in Superdome History.
#14 — Monday Night Football: Patriots vs. Saints (Nov 30, 2009)
On November 30, 2009, the Superdome felt less like a stadium and more like a launch pad, as the undefeated Saints throttled Tom Brady’s Patriots 38–17 on Monday Night Football to move to 11–0 and announce themselves as Super Bowl favorites. Drew Brees turned the building into a fireworks show—21-of-23 for 371 yards, five touchdowns, and a perfect 158.3 passer rating—slinging deep strikes to Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem and dealing red-zone daggers to Marques Colston. Gregg Williams’ defense hounded Brady, with veteran corner Mike McKenzie and ball hawk Darren Sharper stepping into passing lanes and the crowd’s roar cresting on every third down. It wasn’t just a win; it was a statement—the loudest “Who Dat” of the Payton-Brees era—cementing a magical season that would end with the Lombardi Trophy.
13 — 2008 BCS National Championship Game: #2 LSU vs. #1 Ohio State (Jan 7, 2008)
The Superdome became the epicenter of Tiger pride as LSU captured its second BCS National Championship in five years, defeating Ohio State 38–24. The Buckeyes struck first with a 65-yard touchdown run by Chris “Beanie” Wells, but Les Miles’ Tigers methodically seized control, rattling off 31 unanswered points behind quarterback Matt Flynn’s precise passing and a dominant defensive front led by Glenn Dorsey. Special teams turned the tide when Ricky Jean-François blocked a field goal in the second quarter, igniting a crowd draped in purple and gold. With the victory, LSU became the first program to win two BCS titles, both in the Superdome, and the only team to do so with two different head coaches. The night was a celebration of Louisiana football, with the home-state Tigers turning their house into a championship coronation.
12 — Super Bowl XII: First Super Bowl in the Superdome (Broncos vs. Cowboys) (Jan 15, 1978)
Superdome made its Super Bowl debut with a defensive showcase, as Dallas smothered Denver 27–10 and turned “Doomsday” into a championship headline. The Broncos unraveled under the lights—eight turnovers, constant pressure—while Cowboys linemen Harvey Martin and Randy White became the game’s first (and still only) co-MVPs. Roger Staubach managed the keys, Tony Dorsett churned clock, and Butch Johnson’s fully extended, fingertip 45-yard touchdown grab provided the night’s signature highlight. More than a title game, it was a statement about the venue itself: the NFL’s biggest stage fit perfectly inside the Dome, which instantly proved it could deliver spectacle, noise, and lore in equal measure.
11. 2004 Sugar Bowl (#3 Oklahoma vs. #2 LSU) (Jan 4, 2004
In a raucous Superdome draped in purple and gold, Nick Saban led LSU to its first national championship in 45 years with a 21–14 victory over Oklahoma in the 2004 Sugar Bowl. The Tigers’ swarming defense, anchored by Chad Lavalais and Marcus Spears, stifled the Sooners’ high-powered offense, with Spears returning an interception for a pivotal touchdown. Freshman quarterback Matt Mauck and running back Justin Vincent provided just enough firepower, with Vincent rushing for 117 yards and a score to earn MVP honors. The win crowned Saban’s first national title as a head coach and marked the beginning of LSU’s modern championship era—one launched in front of a roaring home-state crowd in the Dome.
10. Drew Brees Breaks the All-Time Passing Record (Redskins vs. Saints) (Oct 8, 2018)
9. — 1979 Sugar Bowl (#2 Alabama vs. #1 Penn State) (Jan 1, 1979)
The 1979 Sugar Bowl in the Superdome delivered one of the most iconic defensive moments in college football history, as Bear Bryant’s Alabama Crimson Tide edged Joe Paterno’s Penn State Nittany Lions 14–7 to secure the national championship. In a bruising, low-scoring battle, the game’s defining sequence came late in the fourth quarter when Penn State, trailing by seven, faced 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Alabama’s defense, anchored by linebacker Barry Krauss and defensive lineman Marty Lyons, stonewalled running back Mike Guman in a thunderous collision that became simply known as “The Goal Line Stand.” With the stop, the Tide preserved the win, clinched their 10th national title, and etched an unforgettable chapter into both Sugar Bowl and Superdome lore
8. — 2000 NFC Wild Card: Saints First Playoff Win (Rams vs. Saints) (Dec 30, 2000)
On December 30, 2000, the Superdome finally witnessed what Saints fans had been waiting 34 years to see—a postseason victory. Facing the defending Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams and their “Greatest Show on Turf,” the Saints built a 31–7 lead behind Aaron Brooks’ poised passing, Willie Jackson’s three touchdown catches, and a defense that harassed Kurt Warner into mistakes. But the Rams stormed back with 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, setting up a tense finish. With under two minutes left, St. Louis punt returner Az-Zahir Hakim muffed a kick deep in Rams territory, and the Saints recovered to seal the 31–28 win. The Dome erupted in cathartic celebration, as New Orleans shed its playoff winless streak and etched a new high point into franchise history. The words from WWL 870 AM commentator Jim Henderson saying “Hakim dropped the Ball !!!” will forever be etched in the minds of many Saints fans.
7 — Super Bowl XXXI: Brett Favre’s Coronation in the Superdome (Patriots vs. Packers) (Jan 26,1997)
Less than hour from where he grew up in Kiln, MS. The Superdome set the stage for Brett Favre’s crowning achievement on January 26, 1997, as he led the Green Bay Packers to a 35–21 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. Favre wasted no time stamping his mark on the game, firing a 54-yard touchdown to Andre Rison on the Packers’ second offensive snap and later hitting Antonio Freeman for an 81-yard bomb. While Curtis Martin and Drew Bledsoe kept New England in striking distance, the game’s decisive blow came when Desmond Howard returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, earning MVP honors. For Favre, it was the defining win of his Hall of Fame career, delivering Green Bay’s first championship since the Lombardi era and cementing his place among the NFL’s all-time greats.
6. — 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship (#3 Clemson vs. #1 LSU) (Jan 13, 2020)
Superdome has been the scene of many great moments in LSU history, but on January 13, 2020, it hosted a crowning achievement—the Tigers’ third national championship won under its roof. Ed Orgeron’s squad completed a perfect 15–0 season by overpowering defending champion Clemson 42–25 in the College Football Playoff National Championship. Joe Burrow delivered a performance for the ages, throwing for 463 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for another, sealing one of the most dominant seasons ever by a quarterback. After a sluggish start, LSU’s offense—fueled by Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire—caught fire, outscoring Clemson 35–8 the rest of the way. As purple-and-gold confetti rained down, Burrow hoisted the trophy, Coach O’s “Geaux Tigers!” echoed through the Dome, and LSU celebrated another title in its own backyard.
5. 1982 Final Four: Michael Jordan’s First Championship (North Carolina, Georgetown, Houston, Louisville) (March 27-29, 1982)
In a landmark Final Four at the Louisiana Superdome, North Carolina edged Georgetown 63–62 in the title game, launching Michael Jordan’s legend with a smooth baseline jumper from the left wing with 17 seconds left—his first championship, scored over a defense anchored by freshman phenom Patrick Ewing. The night also sealed Dean Smith’s long-awaited first national title, buoyed by James Worthy’s 28 points and capped by a frantic finish in which Georgetown’s Fred Brown mistakenly passed to Worthy in the final seconds. Earlier, Ewing had set a bruising tone with several early goaltends, while the broader weekend featured star power galore, with Houston and Louisville rounding out one of the most talent-rich Final Fours in history.
4. — Super Bowl XXXVI: The Brady Era Begins (Patriots vs. Rams) (Feb 3, 2002)
In one of the Superdome’s great stunners, the underdog New England Patriots toppled the “Greatest Show on Turf” St. Louis Rams 20–17 on February 3, 2002, launching the Tom Brady dynasty. After Ty Law’s pick-six and a physical, Belichick-crafted game plan stifled Kurt Warner, Brady—then a second-year starter—took the ball at his own 17 with 1:21 left and no timeouts, coolly guiding a surgical drive that set up Adam Vinatieri’s walk-off 48-yard field goal. Brady claimed MVP honors, the Patriots claimed their first Lombardi Trophy, and a two-decade run of titles and reinventions began that night beneath the Dome’s bright lights.
3. — Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks: Ali’s Final Championship (Sept 15, 1978)
Under the glare of the Superdome lights on September 15, 1978, Muhammad Ali authored one last masterpiece, outboxing Leon Spinks over 15 rounds to win a unanimous decision and become the first three-time heavyweight champion in history. Seven months after Spinks shocked the world by taking Ali’s title, the 36-year-old “Greatest” arrived in New Orleans lean, disciplined, and determined, pumping a busy jab, circling smartly, and controlling the pace while the younger Spinks chased. The sold-out crowd roared with each Ali flurry and savvy clinch, sensing the stakes as the final rounds ticked away. When the cards—145–133, 144–133, 143–142—were read, Ali lifted his arms to a cathartic ovation, cementing both a personal milestone and one of the Superdome’s most iconic nights.
2. — Steve Gleason’s Blocked Punt and a City’s Return to Glory (Falcons vs. Saints) (Sept 25, 2006)
Thirteen months after Hurricane Katrina, the Superdome’s first game back—Saints vs. Falcons on September 25, 2006—became more than a sporting event; it was New Orleans’ public heartbeat returning. On Atlanta’s first punt, Steve Gleason knifed through the shield and smothered the kick, with Curtis Deloatch falling on the ball in the end zone—an eruption that shook the Dome and set the tone for a 23–3 Saints win in Sean Payton and Drew Brees’s home debut. The play instantly transcended the scoreboard, symbolizing resilience for a city rebuilding and a franchise rebooting around Brees. Its permanence is cast in bronze as the “Rebirth” statue outside the Dome, where Gleason’s block is frozen in time—a reminder that on one snap, football helped a wounded city find its voice again.
#1 — Garrett Hartley Kicks the Saints to their First Super Bowl (Vikings vs. Saints) (
On January 24, 2010, the Superdome shook like a freight train as Garrett Hartley drilled a 40-yard overtime field goal to beat the Vikings 31–28 and send the New Orleans Saints to their first Super Bowl. In a turnover-laced classic headlined by Drew Brees and Brett Favre, the Saints’ defense absorbed body blows and delivered just enough in the fourth quarter—most memorably Tracy Porter’s late interception setup—before Brees guided the offense into Hartley’s range to decide it. Two weeks later, the Saints finished the fairy tale by winning Super Bowl XLIV, and the victory parade that followed turned New Orleans into a river of black and gold—floats, beads, brass bands, and generations of fans celebrating the moment when a franchise and a city finally reached the mountaintop.
About The Author
