Here’s What Happens To Super Bowl Shirts For The Losing Team

The Kansas City Chiefs were defeated in Super Bowl LV, essentially making the championship merchandise that was created for the team prior to the game obsolete. Instead of wasting all those t-shirts, sweatshirts and hats celebrating Kansas City’s now nonexistent title, the clothes are being put to good use.

So, what exactly happens to the Super Bowl shirts for the losing team each year? They are donated to people overseas.

The NFL works with Good360, a non-profit organization, which distributes the apparel to places such as Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

“This was a great way to support those in need,” NFL communications manager Liana Bailey said, via USA Today. “We have always felt it was more beneficial to get it into the hands of people who could use it, rather than discarding it.”

One week after the Super Bowl, the NFL tells Good360 what products are available to be donated, USA Today reports. Good360 works with other non-profits to determine what places can use the gear the most.

“That's really important for us, that we make sure that we align where the products are going based on need, and not just sending them blindly into a region where they may not be needed,” Johnson said.

In 2020, Good360 distributed more than $700 million in essential personal and household products, according to the company’s official website.

Merchandise for both Super Bowl teams is created before the game so apparel for the champions can be available for purchase immediately. The NFL doesn’t sell any gear that was made for the losing team.

“While a fan might find [an unusable championship T-shirt] interesting and fun, a novelty, we want to be sensitive to the team,” Anna Isaacson, the NFL’s senior vice president of social responsibility, told Yahoo Sports last year. “No one likes to lose a championship game. The club put its heart and soul on the line, and we wouldn’t want to be seen as making fun of that.”

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Chiefs on Feb. 7 to win their second Super Bowl in franchise history.