The countdown to Super Bowl LVIII is on, and as fans gear up for the big game, there's more to the spectacle than just touchdowns and halftime shows.
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One aspect that often goes overlooked is the color of the jerseys worn by the competing teams-and according to history, it can have a surprising impact on the outcome.
In the colorful history of the Super Bowl, one shade stands out: white.
Throughout all 57 Super Bowls, one team has sported white jerseys while the other donned a different color.
And surprisingly, the team in white has emerged victorious more often than not, sparking speculation about whether there's a deeper significance to this trend.
This year, as the Kansas City Chiefs prepare to defend their title against the San Francisco 49ers, jersey color has once again taken center stage.
The Chiefs, designated as the home team, have opted to stick with tradition by donning their signature red home jerseys.
Meanwhile, the 49ers will wear white-a choice that carries with it a statistical anomaly.
Despite the historical success of teams in white jerseys, the Chiefs aren't letting superstition dictate their game plan.
Having clinched victory in Super Bowl LIV against the 49ers, where they wore red, they're confident in their ability to repeat history donning a different color.
Who picks the Super Bowl jersey colors?
The answer lies in the NFL's alternating conference system, where the home team alternates each year between the AFC and NFC.
This tradition gives the home team the privilege of selecting its jerseys, leaving the visiting team to complement with a contrasting color.
Looking beyond superstition, there's a practical element to jersey selection.
Traditionally, home teams in the NFL opt for darker jerseys, while away teams sport white.
However, when it comes to the Super Bowl, the trend is clear: white jerseys tend to prevail.
While the color of the jerseys may seem like a trivial detail, it's just one of the many nuances that make the Super Bowl the spectacle that it is.
Kickoff for Super Bowl LVIII is set for this Sunday, February 11 at 6:30 pm ET at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
FAQs
By wearing their red uniforms, the Chiefs are officially designated as the home team for the game, setting the 49ers up as the away team that will don their road white uniform. The home club for the Super Bowl is decided via a system used by the league that rotates between the AFC and NFC conferences annually.
Why is Kansas City the home team for the Super Bowl? ›
The answer lies in the NFL's alternating conference system, where the home team alternates each year between the AFC and NFC. This tradition gives the home team the privilege of selecting its jerseys, leaving the visiting team to complement with a contrasting color.
Who wears the home jersey in the Super Bowl 2024? ›
At that point, it was the first Super Bowl with two teams who both wore red. And as the designated home team, Kansas City got to choose its jersey color and stuck with the red tops that got them through the playoffs, as well as their lone Super Bowl win in 1970. Yet again, the Chiefs are the designated home team.
Who is considered the home team in the Super Bowl 2024? ›
The Super Bowl 2024 home team will be the Kansas City Chiefs.
What color will the 49ers wear in the Super Bowl 2024? ›
Kansas City will wear its red home jerseys, while the San Francisco 49ers will wear white. For the most part, NFL teams wear a darker jersey at home and road teams wear a white one.
Why are the 49ers the away team? ›
Unlike before kickoff, it's not a case of tossing a coin. Rather the choice of hosts alternates between AFC and NFC Champions. To put it simply, the AFC champions are designated the home team in even numbered years while the NFC champions are the home team in odd numbered years.
What determines the home field in the Super Bowl? ›
In one game, the NFC becomes the home rep. The following year, the AFC team gets the home designation. And the process rotates each game. This has long been the format for the Super Bowl since the first-ever contest between the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs.
Why are chiefs wearing home jerseys? ›
The AFC is the designated home team this year, so it was expected that the Chiefs would wear their home jerseys. Last year the Chiefs were the road teams and wore white; when they faced the 49ers four years ago the Chiefs were the home team and wore red.
Who is favored to win the Super Bowl in 2024? ›
It's not the biggest surprise to see San Fransisco sit atop the list as the odds-on favorite (+550) to win the 2024 Super Bowl. After all, they just had a ten-point lead in Super Bowl 58 before Patrick Mahomes led yet another monumental playoff comeback.
How do they decide who wears the home jersey in the Super Bowl? ›
While the Super Bowl is played on a neutral site, the two conference representatives are still designated as home and away teams. The NFL alternates the home team between the two conferences each season. The NFC is the home team in even-numbered seasons, while the AFC is the home team in odd-numbered seasons.
49ers amid recent run of white jersey Super Bowl domination.
Why are the 49ers called the 49ers? ›
In short: the name is an homage to the California gold rush. According to the team's website, Allen E. Sorrell – a partner alongside team owner Tony Morabito – suggested the name "49ers" after the miners who rushed the West for gold in 1849.
Why are chiefs designated home team? ›
Why are the Chiefs the home team at Super Bowl 2024? The NFL alternates the home team at the Super Bowl each year based on the conference representative. At Super Bowl 2024, the AFC representative, the Kansas City Chiefs, was given the tag of the home team.
What uniform will the Chiefs wear in the Super Bowl 2024? ›
The Chiefs unveiled their uniform choice on Tuesday and they've decided to wear their red jersey, which is what they've worn in three of their prior four Super Bowls.
What are the old 49er colors? ›
The 49ers changed uniform designs and color combinations quite often in their first eighteen years of existence. From the team's inception in 1946 through the early 1960s, the San Francisco 49ers usually wore red, white or silver helmets, white or light-gray pants, and cardinal red (home) and white (road) jerseys.
How is the Super Bowl location decided? ›
Super Bowl locations are usually determined three to six years before the actual game. Historically, potential host cities had to put together time-consuming and extensive bids to become home of the next Super Bowl game, with the NFL team owners voting on which bid they liked best.
Where does the home team go on a Super Bowl pool? ›
Does the home team go on the top? Yes, the home team always goes on top. In the Super Bowl, the home team switches from AFC to NFC every year. Odd number Super Bowls are NFC home team, and for even number Super Bowls, the AFC is the home team.
Why does Kansas City have a NFL team? ›
Although the Texans fared well in Dallas, Hunt decided that, for the good of the league, it would be best to move his franchise to Kansas City in 1963. There the team was renamed the Chiefs and it continued to enjoy the success the team had experienced in Dallas.
