Carrie Underwood is officially back for another NFL season. The country superstar will once again headline the opening musical number for NBC’s Sunday Night Football in 2026, marking her 14th consecutive season in the role. NBC Sports confirmed that the new show open will debut on Sept. 13, 2026, ahead of the Sunday Night Football opener between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants on NBC and Peacock.
For many fans, Underwood’s voice has become part of football season itself.
Before the kickoff.
Before the lights.
Before the first snap.
There is Carrie.
Carrie Underwood Has Owned the SNF Opening Since 2013
Underwood first took over the Sunday Night Football opening theme in 2013, following Faith Hill’s run from 2007 to 2012. Whiskey Riff notes that after 13 years of opening some of the NFL’s biggest weekly games, Underwood is now returning for year 14.
That kind of longevity is rare.
In music, television and sports, opening themes change all the time. Networks refresh talent, audiences shift, and production styles move on.
But NBC has continued to build the Sunday Night Football identity around Underwood’s voice, energy and star power.
At this point, she is not just performing the theme.
She is part of the brand.
The 2026 Open Will Lean Into Her Rock Side
This year’s version is expected to have a stronger rock influence.
PEOPLE reports that the 2026 opening sequence reflects Underwood’s love of rock music and includes scenes filmed in a recording studio, a small music venue and a packed stadium. The performance continues to draw from the roots of the Sunday Night Football anthem, which is based on Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ “I Hate Myself for Loving You.”
That creative direction makes sense.
Underwood has always been known for country power vocals, but she has also shown a deep love for rock, from her live covers to her harder-edged performances.
A rock-infused Sunday Night Football open lets her bring both worlds together:
Country star power.
Arena-rock attitude.
NFL spectacle.
Carrie Says This Is One of Her Favorite Opens Yet
Underwood has already teased her excitement for the new version.
According to Just Jared, she called this year’s opening “one of my most favorite opens yet.” Creative director Tripp Dixon also said the season draws inspiration from Underwood’s “deep, well-documented love of rock music,” while honoring the rock roots of the show’s long-running anthem.
That matters because after 14 seasons, the challenge is keeping the open fresh without losing what fans expect.
NBC does not need to reinvent Carrie Underwood’s role.
It needs to make the moment feel new again.
The 2026 approach seems designed to do exactly that.
From Studio to Small Club to Stadium
The new visual concept moves through three musical worlds.
First, a recording studio.
Then, a small music venue.
Finally, a packed stadium.
NBC Sports described the 2026 open as “from studio to stadium,” with Underwood leading the performance as the show builds toward the scale of NFL Sunday night.
That progression is smart.
It mirrors the journey of a song becoming an event.
A track starts in a room.
It grows in front of a crowd.
Then it explodes inside a stadium.
That is also Carrie Underwood’s career in miniature: a voice that started with a dream and became big enough for the biggest weekly stage in American football.
“Sunday Night Football” Begins Sept. 13
The new open will officially debut on Sept. 13, 2026.
According to PEOPLE, the season opener will feature the Dallas Cowboys facing the New York Giants.
That is a major first game for the new open.
Cowboys-Giants is one of the NFL’s most recognizable rivalries, and a primetime matchup gives NBC exactly the kind of stage that fits Underwood’s high-energy introduction.
The open will not be a quiet return.
It will arrive in front of one of football’s biggest television audiences of the week.
NBC Is Refreshing the Theme Without Replacing the Voice
One reason the story is getting attention is that NBC appears to be changing the feel of the open while keeping Underwood at the center.
Total Pro Sports described the 2026 update as a new version of the iconic anthem, with NBC refreshing the presentation rather than replacing Underwood.
That is the balance NBC has been using for years.
The song can evolve.
The visuals can change.
The outfits can change.
The settings can change.
But Carrie remains.
For viewers, that consistency has become part of the ritual.
Fans Still Debate the Tradition
Not everyone agrees that NBC should keep the same voice forever.
Country Living reported that even in 2025, some fans were thrilled to see Underwood return while others wanted a change, with some reminiscing about Faith Hill’s era or suggesting other artists.
That debate is part of why the open remains culturally visible.
People have opinions about it.
Some love the tradition.
Some want something new.
But almost everyone recognizes the song the moment it begins.
That kind of recognition is valuable.
Why Carrie Still Works for Football
Underwood works for Sunday Night Football because she brings the right mix of polish and power.
She has the country audience.
She has the mainstream recognition.
She has the vocal strength to match the drama of NFL highlights.
And she has the performance experience to sell a broadcast open that needs to feel bigger than a normal music video.
Football is loud.
Primetime is dramatic.
The open has to feel like an event.
Carrie understands that assignment.
It Is Also a Reminder of Her Unusual Career Range
Underwood’s continued Sunday Night Football role shows how wide her career has become.
She is a country superstar.
A former American Idol winner turned judge.
A Las Vegas residency performer.
A Grand Ole Opry presence.
And now, for the 14th straight year, the voice that launches NBC’s biggest NFL night.
PEOPLE notes that even while returning to Sunday Night Football, Underwood is continuing music performances, including Grand Ole Opry appearances and a show in Lenox, Massachusetts.
That range is part of why she remains so visible.
She is not tied to one lane.
She keeps showing up in multiple parts of American entertainment.
The SNF Open Has Become a Cultural Checkpoint
For many viewers, Carrie’s Sunday Night Football open is one of those small seasonal signals.
It means summer is ending.
Football is back.
Sunday night routines are back.
The lights are on.
The stadium is loud.
The week has one final big game.
That emotional association matters.
A theme song is not just music when it becomes tied to a habit.
And after 14 seasons, Underwood’s voice is tied to that habit for millions of viewers.
Carrie Underwood Is Running It Back Again
After more than a decade, Carrie Underwood and Sunday Night Football still feel connected.
The 2026 open will bring a new rock-inspired visual approach, moving from studio to small venue to stadium. It will debut Sept. 13 before Cowboys-Giants on NBC and Peacock. And it will mark Underwood’s 14th consecutive season leading the biggest weekly entrance in football.
Some fans may want change.
Others love the tradition.
But NBC has made its choice.
Carrie Underwood is back.
And for another season, Sunday night football starts with her voice.
