Background
Ford Field was selected to host Super Bowl XL on November 1, 2000, two years before the stadium opened in 2002; the only previous Super Bowl held in the Detroit area, Super Bowl XVI, had been played at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1982 (also between teams from the AFC North and NFC West divisions, though the AFC North was called the Central at that time).
The NFL promoted this Super Bowl under the slogan "The Road to Forty." The slogan not only honored the 40-year history of the game, but was a nod to Detroit's traditional role as the center of the U.S. automotive industry. In a related note, Roger Penske, owner of car dealerships, racing teams, and other related companies, headed the Super Bowl XL host committee.
This was the first Super Bowl to be played on the FieldTurf surface; each of the previous Super Bowls had been played either on natural grass or on AstroTurf.
The Seahawks became the first team to have their city/state location painted in their end zone for a Super Bowl, as their end zone read Seattle Seahawks. In Super Bowl XLIII, the Arizona Cardinals became the second team to have this, as their end zone read Arizona Cardinals. For all other Super Bowl teams, end zones have featured only the team nickname.
Read more about this topic: Super Bowl XL
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