How many times has the Super Bowl been played in Atlanta?

Here’s a look at the three previous Super Bowls played in Atlanta, following news that the 2028 game will return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium:

Jan. 30, 1994 – Super Bowl XXVIII (Georgia Dome)

Cowboys 30, Bills 13

National anthem: Natalie Cole

Halftime show: Rockin’ Country Sunday featuring the Judds (Wynonna and Naomi Judd). Clint Black, Travis Tritt and Tanya Tucker.

What happened: The game featured eight future Hall of Fame players, with the Cowboys being led by quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith, wide receiver Michael Irvin and defensive end Charles Haley. The Bills were led by quarterback Jim Kelly, running back Thurman Thomas, wide receiver Andre Reed and defensive end Bruce Smith. Down 13-6 at halftime, the Cowboys pulled away in the second half with 24 unanswered points.

MVP: Emmitt Smith, Dallas running back. He rushed 30 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 26 yards.

Quotable: “The ball was just sitting there, begging, ‘Pick me up, man, ‘” Dallas safety James Washington said of his 46-yard fumble return in the third quarter that tied the score and shifted momentum to the Cowboys. “So I just reacted.”

What it’s also remembered for: This was the end of Buffalo’s run of four consecutive trips to the Super Bowl without a victory. Also, it was the last national broadcasting assignment for O.J. Simpson. He was NBC’s sideline reporter covering the Bills for the game. Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy were in the booth, and Will McDonough was the sideline reporter for Dallas. Less than five months later on June 17, 1994, Simpson would make international news riding in a white Ford Bronco along the freeways of Los Angeles. Earlier in the day, he’d been asked by the Los Angeles police department to surrender in the connection to the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Simpson and her companion, Ronald Goldman.

ExploreA look back at the ice storm before the Super Bowl in 2000

Jan. 30, 2000 – Super Bowl XXXIV (Georgia Dome)

Rams 23, Titans 16

National anthem: Faith Hill

Halftime show: "The Tapestry of Nations" show was produced by Disney and featured Phil Collins, Toni Braxton, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias and Edward James Olmos.

What happened: The Rams were the “Greatest Show on Turf” and moved the ball at will early against the Titans. They outgained the Titans, 294 yards to 89 yards, but led only 9-0 at halftime. The Rams went up 16-0 before the Titans staged a furious rally to tie the score with 2:12 to play. The Rams answered with a 73-yard touchdown pass from Kurt Warner to Isaac Bruce. With Steve “Air” McNair at the controls, the Titans drove to St. Louis’ 10-yard line with six seconds to play. On the final play, Rams linebacker Mike Jones tackled Tennessee wide receiver Kevin Dyson a yard short of the goal line to prevent a potential game-tying touchdown.

MVP: Kurt Warner, St. Louis quarterback. He completed 24 of 45 passes for 414 yards and two touchdowns. His 414 yards passing and 45 pass attempts without an interception were both Super Bowl records.

Quotable: “Didn’t make it. Didn’t make it. … No. No. … That’s it! We win. That’s the game. It’s over. We’re world champions,” Rams coach Dick Vermeil said.

What it’s also remembered for: The game went into NFL history as the “One Yard Short” game and Jones’ tackle is simply referred to as “The Tackle.” This also was the dot.com Super Bowl, with several internet companies advertised during the game for the first time. This Super Bowl forever changed the shape of the city and the Buckhead community. In addition to the ice storm, which help to thwart two future bids, a deadly knife fight, a fracas that left a bloody trail from a Buckhead street to inside Ray Lewis’ limousine and to his suite at the Georgian Terrace. Inside his room, Lewis —- then a rising star for the Baltimore Ravens —- put his head in his hands as he realized he would be linked to the deaths of two young men. The slayings pushed city leaders to tame Buckhead’s wild party scene, remaking Atlanta’s night life. In fact, the events of that night often are cited as the beginning of the end of Buckhead as a thriving, raucous nightclub destination where loudspeakers thumped in cruising cars until pre-dawn hours.

ExploreSuper Bowl officials, visitors praise Atlanta’s Southern hospitality

Feb. 3, 2019 – Super Bowl 53 (Mercedes-Benz Stadium)

Patriots 13, Rams 3

National anthem: Gladys Knight

Halftime show: Maroon 5, Travis Scott and Big Boi.

What happened: Former University of Georgia running Sony Michel scored the game’s only touchdown on a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter, the only touchdown of the game. The 16 combined points were the fewest in Super Bowl history.

MVP: Julian Edelman, wide receiver. Ten receptions for 141 yards for the Patriots.

Quotable: “It’s not really about me. It’s about this team. They took me under their wing, and I just appreciate them. I’m thankful. I’m blessed.” –Patriots running back Sony Michel

What it’s also remembered for: A winter storm watch was issued the week leading to the big game, the last thing local organizers wanted to hear after the ice storm of 2000. As a precaution, local school districts closed their doors and many businesses shut down. But after a few frigid days early in the week, it was nearly 60 degrees by kickoff. Rams coach Sean McVay was back in familiar territory, having earned all-state honors as a player at The Marist School in DeKalb County. Also, it was the sixth and final Super Bowl win for the Patriots duo of quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick. Brady would win his seventh Super Bowl two seasons later with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.