How many footballs are used in a Super Bowl?

Since its inception in 1966, the Super Bowl has become an event bigger than anything the National Football League could have ever imagined. While it was always meant to be the crowning achievement, the final piece of the pie for that season's best team, the entire event has taken on a life of its own. Today, the Super Bowl weekend is as good as a national holiday in the entire country.

Super Bowl Sunday is a name as synonymous with America as anything else. Through its long history, it's given us dynasties, iconic moments, comebacks, and all sorts of entertainment. Whether it was the Steelers, the 49ers, the Cowboys, or the Patriots, the league has seen many dynasties be formed at the event. Each year, teams vie for a spot in the game and a chance to win the Vic Lombardi trophy, named after the eponymous coach to win the first 2 Super Bowls.

At the same time, the event is as much a cultural phenomenon as it is a sporting one. Major film studios, and production companies all design their products to get a Super Bowl release or trailer to further generate hype. Similarly, a mainstream box office global sensation is usually at center stage during the halftime show. Names like Beyonce, and Rihana have all graced the event with their talents.

For a statistical lesson, 20 different teams have won the Super Bowl with 15 winning multiple times. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots do the heavy lifting for the AFC side, having won 6 titles each. On the NFC side, both the 49ers and Cowboys have won 5 titles. The Patriots, along with the Denver Broncos, hold the unfortunate record of most Super Bowl losses.

The Super Bowl remains among the most popular events in sports, period. It is second to only the UEFA Champions League Final in the most-watched sporting event.

Today, we will be taking a deep dive into one specific component of the Super Bowl: the various footballs that the event uses.

Number of Footballs Used

The footballs for the league have long been sponsored by one company - Wilson Sporting Goods. Since 1941, the team has been producing nearly 700,000 balls annually. Each team gets exactly 780 balls per year for a total of 24,960 balls for the NFL as a whole.

Each team brings in 24 balls for a regular season game. 12 of them serve as primary, whereas the other 12 are a backup. For the Super Bowl extravaganza, the number sees an increment to 54. Prior to the game, the balls are submitted to administrators who assess their legality and value.

This past season, the Super Bowl saw the use of 228 footballs. Both teams received 108 each, 54 for the game and the other half for practice. In addition, twelve kicking balls were also manufactured.

The process of production

This manufacturing process takes place in the small town of Ada in Ohio. Then, the ball makes a cross-country trip to Southern California. Beginning with the cutout, the process is an arduous one that involves a 20-step procedure that each ball must pass. After being sewn together first, the material gets pushed in an effort to generate the signature brown coating. Then, comes the difficult part. The turning of the ball to its right-side structure is done by an expert turner hand.

To complete the process and get the ball filled up, the final aperture is shut before the insertion of the ball's bladder. Then, the football is ready for play.