After a long off-season, Carrie Underwood is back to signal the official start of football season for NFL fans across the country. The nine-time CMA Award winner, now entering her 13th season performing the Sunday Night Football anthem, brought her signature glam and energy to the stage ahead of tonight’s matchup between Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens and Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills.
Underwood, who took over the Sunday Night Football anthem from Faith Hill, has become as much a staple of the NFL as the games themselves. Fans greeted her return with excitement, flooding social media with comments like, “Carrie Underwood is back, no better feeling!” and “Hearing Carrie Underwood after 200+ days of no football is always blessing my ears.” For many, the season doesn’t officially start until her performance hits the screen.
This year, Underwood performed in a sparkling blue gown, bringing both style and showmanship to the familiar melody, originally adapted from Joan Jett & The Blackhearts’ 1988 hit I Hate Myself for Loving You. Over her 13 seasons, she has updated the song multiple times—from “Oh, Sunday Night” to “Game On” and now the current rendition—keeping the anthem fresh and exciting. “It’s just very glam,” Underwood told NBC. “It’s always great, it’s always exciting, it’s always fun.”
For the singer, the highlight of her SNF experience remains the fans. “They’ll come up to me on the street and be like, ‘Oh my gosh! I love Sunday Night Football. That’s my son’s favorite song,’” she said. Even when teams falter—like the Dallas Cowboys’ recent 24-20 loss to the defending Super Bowl champs—fans find comfort in her familiar presence. One X/Twitter user joked, “Cowboys season already in the toilet. At least Carrie Underwood is still set to appear on Sunday Night Football.”
As the NFL season kicks off, Underwood’s return reminds fans why her performances have become an integral part of football tradition. Glamorous, energetic, and unmistakably Carrie, her anthem continues to mark the start of Sunday nights nationwide—proving that for many viewers, the music is just as important as the game.