BERKELEY SCORES WITH CELEBRITY FLAG FOOTBALL CHALLENGE; KICK-OFF SET FOR THUR., FEB. 5

BERKELEY, Calif., Jan. 27, 2026 – Footballs will be flyin' during Super Bowl Week in the Bay Area, with some of the highest-profile spirals spinning at Berkeley’s California Memorial Stadium in a star-studded contest hosted by UC Berkeley: the 26th Annual Celebrity Flag Football Challenge®, set for Thur., Feb. 5. Doors open at 5 pm with a Visit Berkeley-curated Tailgate Party on the Plaza, followed by the kick-off at 7 pm. Tickets start at just $32 with Visit Berkeley's 20% discount code.

NBA legend Dwight Howard and Hip Hop king Quavo are set to lead their teams into this epic showdown. The All-Star roster features Cal Golden Bear alums Keenan Allen and Mia Mastrov, musicians including DIPLO, NLE Choppa, Roscoe Dash, and Jay Cinco, actress Tiffany Haddish, WNBA champion Jewell Loyd, UFC favorites Justin Gaethje and Demetrius “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, NFL superstars Doug Flutie, AJ Greene, and Adrian Petersen, and content creators/influencers D’Aydrian Harding, Hannah White, Kinsey Wolanski and more.

Fan activations will take place during game breaks, including a first-responder tug-of-war between Berkeley PD and Berkeley Fire, Kicks for Cash, and the Race of the Veggies run by the Berkeley Food Network.

“As the Bay Area comes alive with Super Bowl festivities, Berkeley is excited to play a key role by hosting the Celebrity Flag Football Challenge®,” said Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to introduce new visitors to our dynamic city, honor our first responders and military service members, and share in the excitement happening across the region.”

“Berkeley is honored to host the Celebrity Flag Football Challenge®,” said Jeffrey Church, CEO of Visit Berkeley. “Berkeley and the entire East Bay region will provide affordable, and authentic places for visitors to stay, dine, and explore during this fantastic celebration the first week of February. From big-screen watch parties to themed community events, the “blue zone” of Berkeley will be first & goal to go!”

"We are thrilled to be hosting the Celebrity Sweat Flag Football Game at California Memorial Stadium. It’ll be a great day, with Cal students, alumni, and the public gathering for a wonderful event benefitting First Responders, Military Service Members and Veterans from across Northern California. In short, the game and its purpose could not be more perfectly aligned with the legacy of California Memorial Stadium. We can’t wait to showcase one of California’s premier sport-and-event facilities for a national television audience,” said UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons.

“Hunger impacts people across every neighborhood in Berkeley and our surrounding communities,” said Andrew Crispin, Executive Director of the Berkeley Food Network. “We serve thousands of community members each month, including students, families, seniors and military households who deserve consistent access to healthy food with food pantries and delivered groceries designed to meet people where they are.”

The Celebrity Flag Football Challenge® is presented by Visit Berkeley and sponsored, in part, by Under Armour and Gatorade. NBC Bay Area will serve as a media sponsor, with promotional coverage beginning in January and continuing through game day.

Visit Berkeley’s event sponsors include Residence Inn by Marriott Berkeley, Berkeley Food Network, Ciel Creative Space, Southwest Airlines, Weatherford BMW of Berkeley, Plan-It Interactive, AC Transit, the U.S. Coast Guard, Third Culture, AirGarage, and BARTable.

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