A minor earthquake rattled Santa Clara, California, early Monday, sending tremors through media, team personnel, and visitors arriving for Super Bowl 60 week, briefly shaking the area near Levi’s Stadium.
Super Bowl 60, scheduled for Sunday, February 8, will feature the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, both of whom finished the regular season with 14-3 records, topping their divisions and earning playoff berths through decisive victories.
ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington reacted on X, noting, “Little baby earthquake here in Santa Clara?! That’s a first for me. I mean, I’m used to frozen iguanas. But earth shaking? Unique.”
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Meanwhile, CBS NFL reporter John Breech joked, “Knew I should have taken that earthquake safety class before heading to the Super Bowl.”
The Patriots, AFC East champions, advanced by defeating the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans, and Denver Broncos to reach the final game of the 2025 NFL season, while the NFC West-winning Seahawks overcame the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams.
Together, the pair set up a high-stakes showdown that mirrors their classic Super Bowl matchup in 2015, when the Patriots’Malcolm Butler intercepted a goal-line pass with seconds remaining and the score at 28-24 to clinch the title for New England.
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What happened during the 1989 World Series earthquake?
That minor 3.7-magnitude earthquake may have sparked memories of a tragedy from years before, startling fans, teams, and media arriving for Super Bowl 60 week and recalling the devastating 1989 World Series quake that shook the Bay Area.
The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake struck minutes before Game 3 of the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics at Candlestick Park, registering a magnitude of 6.9 as millions watched live and television coverage abruptly cut to static.
Fans panicked as players and officials sought shelter. While the stadium itself suffered limited damage, surrounding areas were devastated. Sections of freeway, including Oakland’s Cypress Viaduct, collapsed, trapping motorists, and fires broke out across San Francisco.
The earthquake killed 63 people, injured nearly 4,000, and caused billions of dollars in damage. Major League Baseball suspended the series, which resumed ten days later as the Athletics swept the Giants. Even so, the human toll remained the lasting story, symbolizing the Bay Area’s resilience and unity.
More than three decades later, the minor quake near Super Bowl 60 serves as a reminder that even the biggest sporting events remain vulnerable, underscoring how history can echo despite meticulous planning as kickoff approaches on Sunday.
