Super Bowl Experience gives fans the chance to get up close with the NFL
SAN FRANCISCO — The sounds of hammers and drills reverberated throughout the Moscone Center on Monday as crews worked hastily to finish setting up the Super Bowl Experience in anticipation of its five-day run that will give eager football fans a taste of the NFL.
The pageantry of the NFL’s championship game has officially arrived in the Bay Area as Santa Clara hosts its second Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 8.
Th week kicked off with the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks touching down at San Jose Mineta International Airport on Sunday, and cities across the region from San Francisco to San Jose are prepared to welcome fans with a packed slate of events.
But for those who can’t shell out thousands of dollars for a ticket to see the action in person, the Super Bowl Experience is the way for them to “get in the game,” according to Nicki Ewell, the league’s vice president of events.
Often referred to as the NFL’s “theme park,” the sprawling exhibition offers interactive games, memorabilia and a chance for fans to get player autographs. It travels from host city to host city each year, but Ewell said this year fans can expect a “much sleeker, much more innovative (and) immersive” experience.
“We always continue to ramp up all of the scenic elements, all of the beautiful graphics, that’s what we change every year,” she told the Bay Area News Group. “People just really want to get in the game, they want to celebrate their team, they want to see players with their helmets off.”
One of the exhibition’s staples gives fans the chance to see if they have what it takes to be a professional football player.
Can they run a 40-yard dash faster than the 4.21-second record set by Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy at the 2024 combine? Or can they jump higher than the 45 inches Chris Conley, a wide receiver who finished his career with the San Francisco 49ers, reached in 2015?
Other skills challenges will test your throwing accuracy and agility and whether you can kick an extra point when the game is on the line.
The Super Bowl Experience also acts as a museum for the NFL’s crown jewels. Fans can view all 59 Super Bowl rings made from the champion teams ranging from the Green Bay Packers to the Philadelphia Eagles. The rings have gotten larger and more ornate as the years have gone on: The latest, the Super Bowl LIX ring, contains 145 diamonds. The seven-pound sterling silver Vince Lombardi Trophy will also be on display.
For those looking to get a behind the scenes look at the official football of the NFL, workers from Wilson Sporting Goods’ factory in Ada, Ohio, will be onsite churning out pigskins by hand.
David Picioski, head of marketing for team sports for Wilson Sporting Goods, said the company has condensed the “labor-intensive” 20-step process to something that can be done in 20 minutes with stations focused on sewing, turning, lacing and molding. Fans can design their own football and work alongside Wilson workers to put it together for $399.
“This is probably the most unique, most authentic football experience you can have,” Picioski said. “You can’t play the game without this football. You have the opportunity to create your own by hand alongside these experts, so it’s a pretty nice piece of memorabilia.”
Even if your team won’t be playing in Sunday’s game or if you’re not a fan of the NFL in general, Ewell, the league’s vice president of events, said the Super Bowl Experience is designed to be part of the regionwide moment.
“This is a huge opportunity to put San Francisco and the Bay Area on a global stage, and it’s just about coming together,” she said. “Even if you’re not a fan, I think we can convert you by the time you get done here.”
The Super Bowl Experience will be open from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3 through Friday, Feb. 6 and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Tickets start at $40; kids 12 and younger get in free. For more information visit nfl.com/super-bowl/event-info/super-bowl-experience.