Before the high stakes of the Super Bowl on Sunday in Santa Clara, there will be a football game on Thursday across the Bay in Berkeley with much lower stakes — the Celebrity Flag Football Challenge.
The 26th annual version of the game held during the NFL’s Super Bowl week will kick off at 7 p.m. Thursday at California Memorial Stadium on the UC Berkeley campus. Tickets start at $32 via Cal Athletics’ ticketing site.
The two celebrity teams will be coached by former NBA All-Star Dwight Howard and the rapper Quavo. Celebrity players include former Cal football and current NFL wide receiver Keenan Allen and former Cal women’s basketball player Mia Mastrov, former NFL players Doug Flutie, AJ Green and Adrian Peterson, musicians and entertainers like Diplo and Tiffany Haddish, WNBA All-Star Jewell Loyd, and various content creators and influencers.
Berkeley police officers and firefighters will participate in a tug-of-war during a game break, among other fan activities like a “Race of the Veggies” run by the nonprofit 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,” Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii said in a statement, calling it “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.”
Doors open at the stadium at 5 p.m. Thursday with a Tailgate Party on the Plaza curated by Visit Berkeley, the marketing organization for the city.