It's finally Super Bowl Sunday! Here's everything you need to know for big game

The countdown is over and Super Bowl Sunday is finally here.

The New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams meet at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It is the third time the Super Bowl is in Atlanta, after the city hosted it in 1994 and 2000.

Gates at Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened at 2 p.m. but a crowd was already building downtown. Dozens of law enforcement agencies are in place to keep fans and visitors safe.

Watch Live Team 2 Coverage of the big game, on the Channel 2 Action News Nightbeat at 11. 

[RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: MARTA using new stealth technology to scan Super Bowl visitors]

THE GAME

Super Bowl LIII isn't the first time the Pats and Rams have met in the Super Bowl. New England defeated the then-St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.

[RELATED: Patriots are used to being here, Rams are newcomers]

From Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets to high school stars, Super Bowl LIII is a homecoming for many Rams and Patriots players connected to metro Atlanta. That includes former Georgia running backs and teammates Todd Gurley and Sony Michel.

It's also a home game for Rams head coach Sean McVay, who was a star quarterback for Marist School. McVay could become the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl.

SCHEDULE

• Stadium Gates and Gameday Fan Plaza Open: 2:00PM
• Team Warm-Ups: 5:10PM
• Player Introductions, Special Ceremonies and National Anthem: 6:09PM
• Kickoff:  6:30PM

[RELATED: From Atlanta to the Super Bowl: Sean McVay's parents say son is 'living out dream']

THE STADIUM

When Falcons owner Arthur Blank wanted to build a new stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium was promised to bring a Super Bowl. The state-of-the-art stadium has delivered and Blank told Channel 2 Sports Director Zach Klein that he believes it will add Atlanta to the Super Bowl rotation.

You can find everything you need to know about Mercedes-Benz Stadium here, including food, parking and what you can and can't bring.

If you are driving to the game, be prepared for major roads around the stadium to be closed. The full map and road closures can be found here. Don't want to drive? MARTA and Lyft are also options. Lyft is even offering discounts.

[RELATED: FBI: Drone pilots caught flying in Super Bowl area face fines, jail time]

Stay with Channel 2 Action News and WSBTV.com for complete Super Bowl LIII coverage leading up to the big game. Download our news app to get FREE alerts sent to phone and tablet and find complete coverage of Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta here

ENTERTAINMENT 

Gladys Knight will perform the national anthem before the Patriots and Rams kick off. The Atlanta native recently addressed why she decided to sing the anthem.

As for the halftime show, the NFL had difficulty booking an act, but eventually agreed with Maroon 5 to perform. Travis Scott and Atlanta's own Big Boi from OutKast will join the band.

There has been much controversy surrounding Maroon 5's selection and the band did not hold the standard news conference last week. Frontman Adam Levine talked to Entertainment Tonight about performing in the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Channel 2 Action News is covering every angle to keep you informed of what's happening in and around the city. Want to head downtown? We'll let you know what events are happening. Want to watch it all from the comfort of your own home? Don't worry, we're streaming the events 24/7 in the WSB-TV app. Click here to download and here to watch live.

We'll also have behind-the-scenes looks from Super Bowl LIII on our Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Cox Media Group