NFL reportedly eliminates 'End Racism' slogan in back of Super Bowl end zone

This year’s Super Bowl will mark the first time since 2021 that “End Racism” won’t be stenciled in the back of an end zone at the NFL’s biggest game of the season, The Athletic reported Tuesday.

The slogan will reportedly be changed to “Choose Love” at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, according to two league sources, who spoke to The Athletic on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions.

The league began stenciling “End Racism” behind end zones starting with the season openers in 2020 as part of its “Inspire Change” initiative, with the efforts expanding in 2021, USA Today reported.

President Donald Trump is expected to attend Super Bowl LIX Sunday to watch the Philadelphia Eagles face off against the Kansas City Chiefs, and The Athletic said the slogan switch could be making a pointed statement on the field. Ticket prices for the anticipated game have been dropping this week.

Eliminating the “End Racism” slogan could be perceived as a nod to the current political climate, The Athletic reported, as many corporations and institutions have abandoned diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the wake of Trump’s inauguration.

However, the reported change comes after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday at his annual Super Bowl news conference that he strongly supports the league’s policies designed to promote diversity and that they would continue, The Athletic said.

“We got into diversity efforts because we felt it was the right thing for the National Football League,” Goodell said, adding that he was “proud” of the NFL’s diversity efforts. “And we’re going to continue those efforts, because we’ve not only convinced ourselves, we’ve proven it to ourselves — it does make the NFL better.”

The other end zone will have the slogan “It Takes All of Us,” according to The Athletic.

At least one high-ranking league official, who was not named, has expressed concern regarding the change coinciding with Trump’s rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, The Athletic reported.

NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said the decision to change end-zone slogans was based on sensitivity to recent tragedies — including the terrorist attack in New Orleans’ French Quarter in January, the deadly wildfires in the Los Angeles area and the fatal air collision near Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., The Athletic reported.

“We felt it was an appropriate statement for what the country has collectively endured, given recent tragedies, and can serve as an inspiration,” said McCarthy, who noted that “Choose Love” and “It Takes All of Us” also appeared in the end zones for this year’s AFC Championship Game in Kansas City. The NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia included “End Racism” as an end-zone slogan.