By John Seewer
As soon as this year’s Super Bowl matchup was set, workers at the Wilson Sporting Goods football factory jumped into action.
The factory in the rural village of Ada, Ohio, makes the game balls used by every NFL team along with many of the nation’s top college programs and high schools.
But this time of year it’s all about the Super Bowl. The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs will face off for the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in three years on Feb. 9 in New Orleans.
Here’s a look at the footballs, by the numbers:
How many balls are made for the big game?
The two teams will each get a shipment of 108, plus a dozen more for the kickers, all stamped with the Super Bowl logo and team names. Some of the balls will be for practices, while the best ones will be set aside by the quarterbacks. About 50 of those will be bagged and locked away for each team until it’s time for kickoff.
How are NFL footballs different from other footballs?
Wilson makes five different sizes for players of all levels, from the pros to youth leagues. Some have different patterns. NFL balls are notable for the lack of a stripe on the ends. They’re also embedded with a chip that tracks the ball’s position on the field, how far it travels and its trajectory.