Super Bowl 2023: why is it called the Vince Lombardi Trophy? Origin of Super Bowl trophy’s name explained

The Super Bowl is one of the biggest annual sporting events in the world.

Audiences from around the globe will be tuning in to watch the best team in the NFL be crowned for another season. Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs will face off at the State Farm Stadium in Arizona on Sunday (12 February).

Patrick Mahomes fresh off being named the NFL MVP for the second time in his career, will be looking to add another Super Bowl ring to his collection. Jalen Hurts is looking to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to victory - the franchise first won the title in 2018 in the highest scoring game in Super Bowl history.

The winner of the Super Bowl will lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy but how did it get that name? Here is all you need to know:

When was the first Super Bowl?

The first Super Bowl - or NFL-AFL World Championship as it was called - was played in early 1967 following the conclusion of the 1966 season. The game was renamed the Super Bowl in 1969 ahead of the third championship game.

The Green Bay Packers dominated the early years of the Super Bowl, winning the first and second games back-to-back. Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs are competing in the 57th Super Bowl (LVII under the official monkier).

Who designed the Super Bowl trophy?

The trophy was originally sketched out on a cocktail napkin in 1966 during a lunch with NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle in 1966 and the Tiffany & Co. vice president Oscar Riedner. The original trophy was produced by Tiffany & Co in Newark, New Jersey.

Why is it known as the Vince Lombardi Trophy?

The Green Bay Packers dominated the early years of the Super Bowl, winning both of the first two - beating Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders respectively. Vince Lombardi was the coach of the Packers during those years.

Following Lombardi’s death in 1970, the trophy was renamed in his honour. The Vince Lombardi Trophy was first presented to Baltimore Colts after they beat the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V.

The Lombardi Trophy has featured prominently in the logo for the Super Bowl each year since Super Bowl XLV in 2011.

Do the teams get to keep the Vince Lombardi Trophy?

In sports such as ice hockey or football (soccer), teams do not tend to keep a trophy after keeping it. For example the FA Cup is ownly loaned to the winning team, while Messi and Argentina will not get to keep the World Cup despite their victory in Qatar 2022.

The Stanley Cup is another trophy that the winner does not get to keep. However the Vince Lombardi Trophy is unique in that each year a new trophy is cast and the victorious team gets to keep it.

The only exception is Super Bowl V which has remained in the possession of the city of Baltimore following a legal settlement following the relocation of the franchise to Indianapolis in the 1980s. The trophy is currently presented to the owner of the winner after the game.