You've seen them every February. Those crisp, white stencils painted carefully into the back of the end zone, right where the cameras catch every touchdown celebration. While most fans are screaming at their TVs or checking their betting slips, a lot of people are actually scratching their heads about what those phrases really mean—and why they keep changing.
The super bowl end zone message isn't just some random decoration the grounds crew threw together at the last minute. It’s a highly calculated, often controversial, and deeply intentional piece of the NFL’s "Inspire Change" initiative.
For Super Bowl LX in 2026, the league has officially doubled down on a specific sentiment. In one end zone, you’re going to see "It Takes All of Us." In the other? "Choose Love."
Why "Choose Love" Is the Super Bowl End Zone Message This Year
If you feel like you’ve seen "End Racism" there before, you’re right. For years, that was the go-to. But things shifted recently.
The NFL’s senior vice president of social responsibility, Anna Isaacson, has been pretty vocal about why "Choose Love" has taken the lead. Honestly, it started with the Buffalo Bills back in 2022. After that horrific shooting at a Tops supermarket, the team adopted "Choose Love" as a way to unite a grieving city. It resonated. Hard.
By the time Super Bowl LIX rolled around in New Orleans, the league decided to swap out "End Racism" for "Choose Love." They cited a string of national tragedies—wildfires, shootings, even plane crashes—as the reason for the pivot. They wanted something that felt more like a "unifying message of healing."
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It’s about the optics.
The NFL knows the Super Bowl is the one time a year when literally everyone is watching. They want a message that feels universal, even if it feels a little "safe" to some critics. During the 2026 playoffs, specifically around Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the league hammered this home by putting "Choose Love" on helmet decals and end zones across the divisional round. It’s the bridge to the big game.
The Evolution of the End Zone Stencil
Let’s go back a bit. This didn’t used to be a thing.
Before 2020, the end zones were reserved for team names, logos, or maybe the Super Bowl trophy icon. Then the world changed. Following the social justice protests of 2020, the NFL realized they couldn’t just stay silent anymore. They had to say something on the field.
Initially, they gave teams a few options to choose from for their home games:
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- End Racism
- Stop Hate
- Inspire Change
- Choose Love
- Vote (which was actually pulled and replaced by "Inspire Change" for the 2025-2026 season)
But for the Super Bowl, the league takes the wheel. They pick the two messages that will be broadcast to hundreds of millions of people. "It Takes All of Us" has become the "evergreen" message—the one that’s almost always there. It’s the partner phrase.
Does the Super Bowl End Zone Message Actually Do Anything?
This is where the fan base splits right down the middle.
On one side, you’ve got people who think it’s a "classy move." They see the super bowl end zone message as a necessary reminder that football is just a game and that the league has a platform to promote something better.
On the other side? Well, you’ve got the "just play football" crowd.
Critics like Bill Maher have openly mocked the slogans, calling them "stupid" and questioning if a racist person is really going to change their worldview because of a stencil in a stadium. There’s also the political angle. Some fans felt the shift from "End Racism" to "Choose Love" was a way for the NFL to avoid friction with certain political administrations or to soften their stance to keep more viewers tuned in.
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The league, however, points to the money. Since 2017, the NFL says they’ve funneled over $460 million into social justice grants through the "Inspire Change" program. For them, the message in the end zone is just the billboard for the actual work happening behind the scenes.
The Logistics: How It Actually Gets There
It’s not just a giant sticker.
Painting a Super Bowl field is an intense, multi-week operation. The crew starts at least 14 days before kickoff. They use specific stencils and "flimsy boards" to make sure the lines are razor-sharp. If a blade of grass is out of place, it can make the whole message look blurry on a 4K broadcast.
They use hundreds of gallons of specialized paint that doesn’t get slippery when it’s wet. Imagine a player slipping on the "L" in "Love" while trying to make a game-winning catch. That would be a PR nightmare the NFL isn't interested in dealing with.
What to Look for During the Game
When you’re watching Super Bowl LX, keep an eye on the following:
- Placement: "It Takes All of Us" is usually in the end zone with the home team's branding, while "Choose Love" occupies the other.
- Helmet Decals: Most players will have a small version of the message on the back of their helmets. It’s optional, but the vast majority of guys wear them.
- The "Inspire Change" Video: Usually, right before or after the halftime show, there’s a short film explaining the year’s initiatives. It’ll give you the context for why those specific words were chosen.
Actionable Insights for the Casual Fan
Next time someone at your Super Bowl party asks why it says "Choose Love" in the end zone, you can actually give them the real answer.
- Understand the shift: It’s not about moving away from social justice; it’s about using a "healing" narrative that the league feels is more inclusive for a global audience.
- Check the helmets: See which players chose which decals. It’s a small way to see what matters to the individual athletes.
- Look past the paint: If you actually care about the causes, look up the "Inspire Change" grant partners. That’s where the $460 million is actually going.
The super bowl end zone message will probably keep evolving. As the national mood changes, so will the paint. But for now, the NFL is betting on "Love" and "Unity" to be the themes that keep the most people watching without reaching for the remote.