The National Football League (NFL) confirmed that the flag football game between the stars of the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC) will be the main event of the 2026 Pro Bowl, leading up to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028, where this format will make its Olympic debut.
“The Pro Bowl Games will not only be an exciting showcase of our top talent, but also a display of elite athleticism and the dynamic action we can expect to see on the Olympic stage in 2028,” said Peter O’Reilly, NFL executive vice president.
The 2026 Pro Bowl will take place in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, the same venue that will host Super Bowl LX. Scheduled for February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers.
Since 2022, the Pro Bowl format has evolved: it moved away from the traditional contact game between conferences and adopted a flag football and skills competition approach to reduce injury risks and promote the growth of the sport, which was officially added to the Olympic program for Los Angeles 2028.
“We’re excited that the 2026 Pro Bowl Games, our biggest platform of the year, will elevate flag football and our top players like never before,” O’Reilly added.
Unlike previous editions, this year’s event will be held on Tuesday, February 3, instead of the traditional Sunday before the Super Bowl. The game will air in primetime on ESPN and Disney XD.
According to the NFL, flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports globally, with over 20 million players in 100 countries.
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