The moment the final whistle blows at the Super Bowl, fans rush to grab championship gear to celebrate their team’s big win. That merch is ready because the NFL pre-orders thousands of hats, hoodies, shirts, and other memorabilia—declaring both teams as the champions. But only one team’s gear ever makes it to stores in the U.S. Kinda crazy right? But how else would the merch be ready in a split second and up until 1997, the losing team’s merchandise was simply destroyed. But in recent decades, the league has taken a more eco-friendly and socially responsible approach to handling the unused gear.
So, what happens to the losing team’s merch after Super Bowl 2025?
The items, particularly those preprinted for the losing team, are donated.
For more than a decade, the NFL has partnered with Good360, an Alexandria, Virginia-based nonprofit, to donate unsellable apparel—such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and towels—originally produced for the losing teams. The partnership, initially recommended by Nike, ensures these items are distributed to communities in need rather than discarded or resold.
“We work with over a thousand nonprofit organizations,” said Good360 CEO Cinira Baldi. “We receive donated goods and distribute them across the U.S. and internationally to individuals and communities in need.”
The NFL collects unsold items from stadium stores and retailers before Good360 distributes them through its global network of charities. “We want these products to be used, but we also want to ensure they don’t end up for sale online or bring unwanted attention to the losing team,” Ruggiero said. “Teams wouldn’t want to be associated with that kind of visibility.”
Beyond brand protection, the NFL also aims to handle these products sustainably. “Good360 helps to ensure the merchandise reaches the right locations without disrupting local economies,” Ruggiero added. “It’s about making a positive impact while being responsible with our brand.”
Super Bowl LVIII merchandise from the Kansas City Chiefs. Photo Credit: Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty
No, fans can’t get their hands on NFL-produced gear that mistakenly crowns their team as Super Bowl champions. The league has strict protocols in place to ensure the public never sees merchandise for the non-winning team, according to a 2024 post on Good360’s blog.
These protocols involve working exclusively with vetted partners and sending donations to communities outside the U.S.—though the exact locations remain undisclosed. “Because of the sensitivity of these donations, we don’t reveal specific destinations,” Good360’s Rudolph told The Los Angeles Times in 2022. “What I can say is they are distributed to countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and South America.”
The NFL follows this process to prevent the losing team’s gear from falling into the hands of resellers and collectors looking to cash in. In 2022, a rare Super Bowl XXIII shirt mistakenly declaring the Cincinnati Bengals as champions—despite their loss to the San Francisco 49ers—was listed on eBay for $10,000. Whoopsie. Ok, nothings perfect!
