7 burning questions about the Championship halftime show, answered

Lil’ Wayne and Imagine Dragons are performing on an artificial island with trace amounts or radiation that is nowhere near the game.

Halftime is game time. Wait a second to take the bathroom break. Don’t you dare switch viewing locations, and for God’s sake, don’t change the channel.

It’s time for Imagine Dragons and Lil’ Wayne to .... do something. I know you have questions about what you’re about to see. I have provided answers to the burning ones.

1. Where is it being held?

This championship game events are ostensibly in San Francisco. The game’s being held in Santa Clara, which is not San Francisco and is only somewhat close to San Francisco. The official, Playoff-sanctioned, sterilized fan environments are in San Jose, which is actually close to Santa Clara. The halftime show is sorta in San Francisco. It’s actually on an island in San Francisco Bay, but not the one you’re thinking of.

This island is called Treasure Island, and it hosts an annual music festival. I’ll just leave this backstory about the island’s recent history right here:

Radioactive contamination at the Treasure Island Naval Station, where San Francisco plans to build a high-rise community for 20,000 residents, is more widespread than previously disclosed, according to a new U.S. Navy report and other documents obtained by The Bay Citizen.

The layout is like this:

Google Maps

2. Why Imagine Dragons?

ESPN’s press release describes it as the continuation of some sort of brand partnership:

Imagine Dragons’ appearance at the national championship game builds upon a season-long affiliation between ESPN, Interscope Records and Universal Music Group Nashville, wherein the band’s #1 song ‘Natural’ served as ESPN’s college football anthem. Additional artists from the label were incorporated into ESPN’s college football programming, promotion and games throughout the season.

You may never have heard that “Natural” song if you didn’t watch college football, but it goes in the pantheon of bro-rock anthems that ESPN’s used over the last few years.

And it’s not that bad — admit it.

3. OK, but why Lil’ Wayne?

It’s been a decade since Tha Carter III solidified Weezy as the best rapper alive. Since then, he’s put out a few albums. He’s beefed (and made up) with his adopted father Birdman, discovered Drake, and skateboarded a lot. His most recent album, Tha Carter V, came out last fall.

Wayne’s most likely here for a similar reason Travis Scott will be joining Maroon 5 (?) at the Super Bowl: ESPN gauged Imagine Dragons’ appeal and realized they needed to broaden the base of who might actually tune into this thing.

The play here is for non-college football fans to tune into the halftime show, get sucked in, and just keep watching when the game comes back. In the continued Super Bowlification of college football’s title game, which includes the game venue itself, it makes sense.

4. Will Imagine Dragons and Wayne even perform any music together?

It seems so. The press release just says it’ll be a “special collaboration” during the game. Wayne and the Dragons have been on the same track before, but it was with a ton of other artists. The single “Sucker For Pain” from the Suicide Squad soundtrack features a truckload of artists, including both Wayne and Imagine Dragons:

5. Do either of these acts have an actual college football connection?

Yes! While Kendrick Lamar didn’t really have a clear link last year, both Dragons and Tunechi are at least college football-adjacent.

• Two of the Imagine Dragons guys went to BYU.
• Lil’ Wayne is a noted LSU fan and former former College GameDay guest picker (he got 7 of 10 picks right during his appearance on the show in 2016):

6. Would other artists have still made more sense?

God yes.

Future shouted out Clemson’s most recent national championship on the song “Good Dope.” The Tigers now use that in recruiting mail.

As far as Bama’s concerned, take your pick: Jason Isbell, Gucci Mane, Yelawolf, T.I., Scott Stapp, Ringo Starr, and Drake all claim the Tide.

Also, ESPN also had Jay Rock remix his single “Win” for its Playoff coverage. He woulda worked well too.

7. Could it be worse, though?

The 2005 title game will always remind you that the answer to that question is yes.