# Super Bowl IX
**Super Bowl IX** was the [National Football League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-football-league)'s championship game for the 1974 season, played on January 12, 1975 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, where the [Pittsburgh Steelers](https://www.edgepedia.org/pittsburgh-steelers) defeated the [Minnesota Vikings](https://www.edgepedia.org/minnesota-vikings) 16-6 to win the first championship in Steelers franchise history.[1](https://operations.nfl.com/media/hfjn4oid/2024-record-fact-book-incl-supplemental.pdf) • [2](https://www.steelers.com/news/the-first-of-many-for-the-70s-steelers) It matched the American Football Conference champion Steelers, in their first Super Bowl appearance, against the National Football Conference champion Vikings, making a third bid for their first Super Bowl title.[3](https://www.profootballhof.com/news/super-bowl-ix)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and site | January 12, 1975, Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana; attendance 80,997[1](https://operations.nfl.com/media/hfjn4oid/2024-record-fact-book-incl-supplemental.pdf) |
| Final score | Pittsburgh Steelers 16, Minnesota Vikings 6[1](https://operations.nfl.com/media/hfjn4oid/2024-record-fact-book-incl-supplemental.pdf) |
| Significance | First Super Bowl title for the Steelers, the first of four wins in a six-year span[2](https://www.steelers.com/news/the-first-of-many-for-the-70s-steelers) |
| First-half scoring | Only points were a safety, Dwight White downing Fran Tarkenton in the end zone 7:49 into the second period, for a 2-0 halftime lead[3](https://www.profootballhof.com/news/super-bowl-ix) • [2](https://www.steelers.com/news/the-first-of-many-for-the-70s-steelers) |
| MVP | Franco Harris, 34 carries for 158 yards, a new Super Bowl rushing record at the time[2](https://www.steelers.com/news/the-first-of-many-for-the-70s-steelers) |
| Television | NBC broadcast drew 56,050,000 viewers with a 42.4 household rating[4](https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2026/super-bowl-lx-2026/) |
| Weather | One of the two coldest outdoor Super Bowls ever played, along with Super Bowl IV[5](https://www.wdsu.com/article/new-orleans-super-bowl-tulane-stadium-games/63676482) |
## Teams and buildup
The Steelers arrived at the game on the strength of a defense that had become known as the "Steel Curtain," anchored by tackle [Joe Greene](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-greene), with end L.C. Greenwood, end Dwight White, and tackle Ernie Holmes up front.[2](https://www.steelers.com/news/the-first-of-many-for-the-70s-steelers) • [6](https://www.steelers.com/news/steel-curtain-crushes-vikings-14412896) [Pittsburgh](https://www.edgepedia.org/pittsburgh) finished the 1974 regular season 10-3-1, pounding teams with the run behind an early version of the [Steel Curtain](https://www.edgepedia.org/steel-curtain), but questions lingered at quarterback, where Terry Bradshaw was still unproven.[7](https://www.nfl.com/news/steelers-vikings-first-of-season-s-many-sb-rematches-0ap3000000508039) Despite the dominant defense, the Steelers were underdogs to a veteran Vikings team making its third Super Bowl appearance in six years.[8](https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2023/2/9/22904777/super-bowl-ix-pittsburgh-steelers-vs-minnesota-vikings-highlights-rewind-chuck-noll-nfl-news) • [3](https://www.profootballhof.com/news/super-bowl-ix)
Minnesota, coached by [Bud Grant](https://www.edgepedia.org/bud-grant), featured quarterback [Fran Tarkenton](https://www.edgepedia.org/fran-tarkenton) and running back Chuck Foreman, one of the NFL's most versatile backs of that era.[7](https://www.nfl.com/news/steelers-vikings-first-of-season-s-many-sb-rematches-0ap3000000508039) • [9](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/five-interesting-facts-from-steelers-vikings-in-super-bowl-ix-ahead-of-thursday-night-football/) The game pitted two of the era's celebrated defenses against each other, the Steel Curtain against Minnesota's "Purple People Eaters."
## The game
**A scoreless first quarter.** Both teams played conservatively, trying to avoid costly mistakes rather than break the game open, and neither scored in the first period.[10](https://hoffco-inc.com/sb/gms/09-sum.html) [The Vikings](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-vikings)' offense never found room against Pittsburgh's front: a healthy Chuck Foreman had no impact on Minnesota's ability to run the ball, and center Mick Tingelhoff had no answer for the Steelers' Stunt 4-3 scheme.[7](https://www.nfl.com/news/steelers-vikings-first-of-season-s-many-sb-rematches-0ap3000000508039)
**The safety.** The half's only points came midway through the second quarter. Tarkenton fumbled a handoff to Dave Osborn, scrambled to recover the ball in his own end zone, and was downed there by Steelers defensive end Dwight White, giving Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead at halftime.[2](https://www.steelers.com/news/the-first-of-many-for-the-70s-steelers) • [3](https://www.profootballhof.com/news/super-bowl-ix) It was the first safety in [Super Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl) history, and White achieved it while playing with a temperature of 103 degrees after spending part of the week in the hospital with pneumonia.[11](https://www.post-gazette.com/life/lifestyle/2010/09/09/let-s-learn-from-the-past-super-bowl-ix/stories/201009090302)
**Second half.** Minnesota was set to receive the second-half kickoff, but Bill Brown fumbled it and Marv Kellum recovered for Pittsburgh at the Minnesota 30-yard line. The Steelers converted: [Franco Harris](https://www.edgepedia.org/franco-harris) ran nine yards for a touchdown and Roy Gerela kicked the extra point for a 9-0 lead.[2](https://www.steelers.com/news/the-first-of-many-for-the-70s-steelers) • [12](https://profootballarchives.com/nflboxscores1/1974nfl189.html) The Vikings answered with their only score when Matt Blair blocked Bobby Walden's punt and Terry Brown recovered it in the end zone; Fred Cox's extra point failed, cutting the lead to 9-6.[2](https://www.steelers.com/news/the-first-of-many-for-the-70s-steelers) • [12](https://profootballarchives.com/nflboxscores1/1974nfl189.html) Pittsburgh then sealed the win when Bradshaw hit [Larry Brown](https://www.edgepedia.org/larry-brown) for a four-yard touchdown, making the final 16-6.[2](https://www.steelers.com/news/the-first-of-many-for-the-70s-steelers)
**MVP.** Franco Harris earned Super Bowl Most Valuable Player honors with 34 carries for 158 yards, a new Super Bowl rushing record at the time, running behind an offensive line that opened constant holes in the Vikings' front four.[2](https://www.steelers.com/news/the-first-of-many-for-the-70s-steelers) • [10](https://hoffco-inc.com/sb/gms/09-sum.html)
## The venue and the weather
Super Bowl IX was originally scheduled for New Orleans' new Superdome in January 1975, but construction delays forced a relocation to Tulane Stadium.[13](https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c29cec7a702740d5b7e439cc3bdf080e) The move gave the game a place in stadium history: it was the final game ever played at Tulane Stadium, which had hosted [Tulane Green Wave football](https://www.edgepedia.org/tulane-green-wave-football), the [Sugar Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/sugar-bowl), the Saints' first seasons, and three Super Bowls (IV, VI, and IX) before both football tenants moved to the Superdome.[14](https://www.stadiumsofprofootball.com/superbowl/TulaneStadium.htm) • [15](https://hnoc.org/publishing/first-draft/superdome-80000-seat-stadium-uptown-new-orleans-hosted-sporting-events) The stadium's capacity had reached 80,985 in 1947.[15](https://hnoc.org/publishing/first-draft/superdome-80000-seat-stadium-uptown-new-orleans-hosted-sporting-events)
The January date and open-air setting made Super Bowl IX, together with [Super Bowl IV](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl-iv), one of the two coldest outdoor Super Bowls ever played.[5](https://www.wdsu.com/article/new-orleans-super-bowl-tulane-stadium-games/63676482)
## Aftermath
The victory began the Steelers' decade of dominance: it was the first of four Super Bowl wins over a six-year span, followed by titles in Super Bowls X, XIII, and XIV.[2](https://www.steelers.com/news/the-first-of-many-for-the-70s-steelers) Pittsburgh's six Super Bowl championships (IX, X, XIII, XIV, XL, and XLIII) remain tied with New England's six for the most in NFL history.[16](https://operations.nfl.com/media/6101/2022-record-and-fact-book.pdf) For Minnesota, the loss was the third of four Super Bowl defeats for the franchise, and Tarkenton finished his career without a Super Bowl win.[3](https://www.profootballhof.com/news/super-bowl-ix) • [17](https://time.com/5512764/tom-brady-super-bowl-patriots-rams/)
The game's defensive character left a mark on the record book. On television, the NBC broadcast drew 56,050,000 viewers with a 42.4 household rating, figures that rank it among the most-watched Super Bowls of the 1970s.[4](https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2026/super-bowl-lx-2026/)
## References
1. [Super Bowl Summaries, NFL Record & Fact Book (2024)](https://operations.nfl.com/media/hfjn4oid/2024-record-fact-book-incl-supplemental.pdf)
2. [The first of many for the 70s Steelers, Steelers.com](https://www.steelers.com/news/the-first-of-many-for-the-70s-steelers)
3. [Super Bowl IX, Pro Football Hall of Fame](https://www.profootballhof.com/news/super-bowl-ix)
4. [Super Bowl LX Delivers 125.6 Million Viewers, Nielsen](https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2026/super-bowl-lx-2026/)
5. [New Orleans Super Bowl games first held at Tulane Stadium, WDSU](https://www.wdsu.com/article/new-orleans-super-bowl-tulane-stadium-games/63676482)
6. [Steel Curtain crushes Vikings, Steelers.com](https://www.steelers.com/news/steel-curtain-crushes-vikings-14412896)
7. [Steelers-Vikings first of season's many SB rematches, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/steelers-vikings-first-of-season-s-many-sb-rematches-0ap3000000508039)
8. [Super Bowl Flashback: Super Bowl IX, Behind the Steel Curtain](https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2023/2/9/22904777/super-bowl-ix-pittsburgh-steelers-vs-minnesota-vikings-highlights-rewind-chuck-noll-nfl-news)
9. [Five interesting facts from Steelers-Vikings in Super Bowl IX, CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/five-interesting-facts-from-steelers-vikings-in-super-bowl-ix-ahead-of-thursday-night-football/)
10. [Super Bowl IX Game Summary, Hoffco](https://hoffco-inc.com/sb/gms/09-sum.html)
11. [Let's Learn From the Past: Super Bowl IX, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette](https://www.post-gazette.com/life/lifestyle/2010/09/09/let-s-learn-from-the-past-super-bowl-ix/stories/201009090302)
12. [Super Bowl IX box score, Pro Football Archives](https://profootballarchives.com/nflboxscores1/1974nfl189.html)
13. [Above the Superdome, StoryMaps](https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c29cec7a702740d5b7e439cc3bdf080e)
14. [Tulane Stadium - History, Photos & More, Stadiums of Pro Football](https://www.stadiumsofprofootball.com/superbowl/TulaneStadium.htm)
15. [Before the Superdome, There Was Tulane Stadium, Historic New Orleans Collection](https://hnoc.org/publishing/first-draft/superdome-80000-seat-stadium-uptown-new-orleans-hosted-sporting-events)
16. [Super Bowl Records, NFL Record & Fact Book (2022)](https://operations.nfl.com/media/6101/2022-record-and-fact-book.pdf)
17. [Why Tom Brady's Super Bowl Experience Doesn't Guarantee a Patriots Victory, TIME](https://time.com/5512764/tom-brady-super-bowl-patriots-rams/)
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*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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