By Jeremy Moore and Jamil Oakford

NE student Jennifer Feagan doesn’t care about the Carolina Panthers or the Denver Broncos, but she will still tune in to watch the big game Feb. 7.

“Honestly, I don’t care this year,” Feagan said. “But, I’ll still watch it.”

Love it or hate it, TCC students like many across the country will watch and partake in the national holiday that is Super Bowl Sunday.

The NFL is already billing the game as a rumble between football legend Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos and young Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. Students are already taking sides.

“I’ll just sit at home and watch Cam Newton,” SE student Dereck Johnson said.

Another SE student doesn’t feel so fondly of the Panthers quarterback.

“Cam Newton is too cocky,” SE student Alexis Baldrich said. “I want to see him lose.”

In a study last year, USA Today found only a quarter of the viewers tuned in to watch an actual football game. The other three-quarters were divvied up between people who were at work, people who weren’t interested in any part of the Super Bowl and a strong 15 percent of viewers who were watching for the commercials and halftime show.

“It depends on who’s playing the halftime show,” Feagan said.

Coldplay will headline this year alongside Beyonce and Bruno Mars to celebrate 50 years of the Super Bowl.

“Oh, I’d definitely watch that,” she said.

But over the years, commercials, which cost companies $5 million for 30 seconds of air time this year, have moved up in prominence.

For Feagan, it used to be an entertaining part of the night.

“They used to have more that were better, but it doesn’t seem like that anymore,” she said. “It seems like they [companies] try to outdo what they previously did.”

SE student Chris Aguilar enjoys the ads that run during the Super Bowl.

“I’m ready to see all the great commercials,” he said.

And while the game is a pretty large part of Super Bowl Sunday, the viewing parties tend to be a staple for most.

SE student Zack Asebedo said he’s throwing a party and watching commercials while SE student Julio Menjivar and his family will put their own twist on it.

“My family and I will probably have a Mexican bingo Super Bowl party,” he said. “I plan on watching because I love football.”

Whatever the plans, most TCC students can agree on Super Bowl Sunday being a huge night.

“It’s the game of the year, so I can’t miss it,” SE student Sonny Sengphanlaya said.