This time of year, Sundays are for tailgating, touchdowns, and Carrie Underwood. The “Before He Cheats” singer took over for Faith Hill in 2013 on Sunday Night Football in 2013. Now, hearing Underwood belt “Waiting All Day For Sunday Night” is part of a sacred weekly ritual for more than 20 million households. NFL enthusiasts were delighted when the American Idol champ announced she would return to NBC for the 12th straight year. The 2024 NFL season launch Thursday night (Sept. 5) with a Super Bowl LVIII rematch on NBC and Peacock. Many fans are wondering if Underwood’s dulcet tones will kick off the occasion.
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Carrie Underwood Is Returning to ‘Sunday Night Football’ In 2024
The Baltimore Ravens are out for revenge against the Kansas City Chiefs after Patrick Mahomes and company defeated them in overtime for the Super Bowl title. The teams face off in tonight’s (Sept. 5) NFL season opener at 8:20 p.m. Eastern on NBC and Peacock.
NBC has specifically referred to tonight’s game as “a special Thursday night edition of Sunday Night Football. The program has been Carrie Underwood’s Sunday night home for the last 12 years. So naturally, online speculation has arisen about whether she’ll perform tonight.
“There will be no better feeling then getting out of class on Thursday afternoon and coming home and hearing Carrie Underwood on the TV,” wrote one gridiron enthusiast on X/Twitter.
“carrie underwood has a thursday night song ?” another user responded.
The answer to that isn’t entirely clear. On one hand, tonight’s game is billed as Sunday Night Football. On the other, the social media post heralding Underwood’s return specified that her 2024 tenure begins Sunday, Sept. 8. Therefore, it seems unlikely that the eight-time GRAMMY winner will perform tonight. And if the reaction to her absence from the 2024 NFL playoff season is any indication, fans will be disappointed.
This Year’s ‘SNF’ Opening May Sound Different
Carrie Underwood has been the face of Sunday Night Football for over a decade. Her opening sequence has undergone many transformations during that time. But SNF coordinating producer Rob Hyland promises that this year is “by far my favorite.”
[RELATED: A Breakdown of Carrie Underwood’s 3 NFL, Sunday Night Football Theme Songs]
“We essentially flipped the song upside down,” Hyland told Yahoo. “The song now starts with the chorus, which is something we used to always build toward.”
Featured image by John G Mabanglo/EPA/Shutterstock
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