Super Bowl: What Happens With the Losing Team’s Championship Shirts?
On Sunday, an apparel collection celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory at the 2024 Super Bowl debuted on the field right after the team beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in Las Vegas. Pre-made championship T-shirts, hats and hoodies dedicated to the Chiefs’ win were worn by members of the team while they received the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
But what happened to the 49ers’ pre-made Super Bowl merchandise after they lost?
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The NFL makes sure the losing team’s merchandise will never be seen by the general public. However, the apparel receives a new purpose instead of going to the dumpster.
Good360, a 501 charitable organization that works to reroute needed goods from landfills into the hands of people in need, works with the NFL every year to donate the losing team’s apparel to communities in need outside of the U.S.
“It may go to people living in Europe, Africa or Asia. But you definitely won’t see it on anyone in America,” Shari Rudolph, chief development officer and chief marketing officer at Good360, said via statement.
According to the organization, the losers’ merchandise is transferred from the stadium to a central location in preparation for distribution.
“Good360 will work closely with international NGOs to ensure that the apparel goes directly into the hands of the right communities — and not some place where someone might be able to profit from it. We also take pains to avoid sending the apparel to a location where a flood of donated clothing could disrupt the local economy,” Rudolph said.
The NFL and Good360 have been working together for nine years. The charitable organization also works with the Major League Baseball at the end of the World Series.
“While the quantity of unusable apparel is only a few thousand items each year, these global sporting events offer a high-profile opportunity to focus attention on sustainability and the benefits of product philanthropy,” Rudolph said.
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