what happens if you streak at the super bowl
If you streak at the Super Bowl, you’re almost guaranteed to be arrested on the spot and then face a mix of criminal charges, fines, and long‑term consequences.
The Immediate Fallout
The moment you hit the field, security and law enforcement will move fast:
- You’ll be tackled or restrained by security and escorted off the field.
- You’ll be arrested, taken to a holding area in the stadium, then to jail.
- Expect at least an overnight stay in jail while charges are processed and bail is set.
Even if the crowd laughs, for authorities it’s treated as a serious disruption, not a prank.
Charges You Could Face
The exact charges depend on the host state and how nude or disruptive you are, but common ones include:
- Trespassing (for entering the field/secure area).
- Disorderly conduct (for disrupting the event).
- Indecent exposure or public lewdness (if you’re actually nude or exposing yourself).
In many states:
- Trespass can be a Class B misdemeanor with up to around 180 days in jail and fines (often up to a few thousand dollars).
- Disorderly conduct is often a lower‑level misdemeanor with a smaller fine (hundreds of dollars).
- Indecent exposure is more serious and can bring higher fines, longer jail possibilities, and, in some jurisdictions, sex‑offender‑registry risks.
Real‑World Examples
Recent cases show how this usually plays out:
- A famous Super Bowl LV field‑runner in Tampa ended up with 12 months of probation, 100 hours of community service, a fine, and an apology letter requirement, after an initial overnight stay in jail.
- Sports law write‑ups note that most Super Bowl streakers spend at least one night in jail and can then face days to months in additional jail time in more serious cases, plus heavy fines.
So even “just” dashing across the field in a thong can mean a year of court supervision and a criminal record.
Long‑Term Consequences
Beyond the initial stunt, there’s a long tail:
- Lifetime or long‑term ban from the stadium or venue is very likely.
- A criminal record that can affect jobs, visas, or background checks.
- Court‑ordered community service, probation check‑ins, and fines that take months or years to complete.
- If indecent exposure is charged and sticks, the stigma is much worse, and some jurisdictions may treat it very harshly.
You also won’t get the glory you might imagine: broadcast TV usually cuts away and doesn’t show the streaker to avoid encouraging copycats, so most of the “fame” ends up as short‑lived clips online and a long‑lived court file.
Social & Media Side
Online, streakers sometimes get meme’d or discussed in forums, with people joking about the “highlight of the game” or how far they ran. But media and judges tend to frame it as selfish and disruptive rather than heroic, emphasizing the inconvenience to players, officials, and tens of thousands of fans.
Even articles that analyze the “phenomenon” of Super Bowl streakers point out:
- The intended message (protest, promotion, prank) often gets lost.
- What people remember is the disruption and the punishment, not the cause.
So if you’re wondering what happens if you streak at the Super Bowl : you get briefly tackled into a viral moment, then spend a lot longer dealing with police, courts, probation, fines, and bans than you spent on the field.
TL;DR: It’s illegal, you will be arrested, likely spend at least a night in jail, face fines, probation, possible indecent exposure charges, and a venue ban, and the legal hassle lasts far longer than the joke.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.