Inside the NFL’s Boldest Pro Bowl Yet: A Flag Football Showcase in a Convention Center
SAN FRANCISCO - If you’re wondering just how far the NFL is willing to go to reinvent the Pro Bowl, look no further than the south wing of San Francisco’s Moscone Center. That’s where, tucked behind glass doors and down a set of escalators, the league has built a nearly full-scale football field - not in a stadium, but inside a convention hall.
Yes, you read that right. The 2026 Pro Bowl is being played indoors, in a windowless ballroom that’s more accustomed to tech expos than touchdown celebrations. And while it may not be the traditional football setting fans are used to, it’s all part of the NFL’s latest effort to breathe life into its annual All-Star event.
“It’s definitely different and unique,” said Nicki Ewell, the NFL’s vice president of global events, while overseeing the final touches on the field’s construction. And she’s not wrong - the league has never done anything quite like this.
A New Look, A New Feel
Starting Sunday, the Moscone Center will transform into the NFL’s newest Pro Bowl venue, hosting a week of flag football action and fan experiences. The main event - the Pro Bowl Games - will air live on ESPN this Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
PT, with kickoff expected around 5 p.m. But don’t expect a packed stadium crowd or the roar of 50,000 fans.
This year, attendance is capped at 2,000 - all by invitation.
The only way for everyday fans to get in? Purchase a ticket to Tuesday’s NFL Experience and cross your fingers for a seat-filler spot. The rest of the limited seating - bleachers behind each end zone and a standing-room riser along the sideline - is reserved for players’ families and a group of local youth from Oakland nonprofit Youth UpRising.
It’s a scaled-down, made-for-TV production, and that’s by design. After last year’s Pro Bowl hit record-low TV ratings, the NFL is shifting focus to create a more compelling broadcast product. Ewell put it simply: “We want to have a compelling television product for ESPN.”
The broadcast will also include a pregame tribute to John Beam, the beloved Laney College football coach who was tragically shot and killed last year. It’s a moment that will bring emotional weight to an otherwise lighthearted showcase.
From Stadium Lights to Convention Hall Ceilings
The field itself is no backyard setup. It’s 80 yards long and 65 yards wide - regulation size for flag football - and laid with the same FieldTurf used in NFL stadiums.
The surface sits atop a thin layer of infill that separates it from the concrete floor of the convention center. The same grounds crew preparing the Super Bowl field at Levi’s Stadium also installed this one, ensuring top-tier quality and safety.
Still, there are some unavoidable quirks. The ceiling is just 37 feet above the field, with lighting rigs and arches hanging even lower. So, forget about any deep punts or Hail Marys - the vertical game is officially off the table.
“We know that height is going to be a factor here,” Ewell acknowledged. “They’re going to adapt and adjust.”
A Flag Football Future?
This is the third straight year the Pro Bowl has used a 7-on-7 flag football format, a shift that began in 2022 when the league ditched the traditional tackle game in favor of something more fast-paced and fan-friendly. That year, the NFL partnered with Peyton and Eli Manning to bring in a skills competition and inject some personality into the event.
This year, the skills portion is being scaled back, replaced with social media-friendly programming while teams practice on Sunday and Monday. It’s a nod to where the league sees the most engagement - and where younger fans are spending their time.
The long-term vision? If this experiment works, the NFL sees potential for a repeatable model - one that could carry over to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, when flag football makes its debut as an Olympic sport. The Pro Bowl field will be used throughout the week for various flag football events, serving as both a showcase and a test run.
A Different Kind of Pro Bowl - But the Same Star Power
While the setting is unconventional, the players are still front and center. All 44 representatives from each conference are expected to participate, and the league held a virtual meeting with them earlier this week to walk through what to expect.
“We had more guys logged into that call than we’ve ever had before,” Ewell said. Clearly, curiosity is high - and understandably so.
This isn’t Hawaii, Orlando, or even a football stadium. This is something entirely new.
And while it may not look like the Pro Bowl of old, the league is betting that the energy, creativity, and intimacy of the event will resonate with fans - especially those watching from home.
Because at the end of the day, the NFL knows the numbers. Last year’s Pro Bowl drew just 4.7 million viewers - a steep drop from the 6.7 million who tuned in for the final tackle format in 2022, and miles away from the 12.3 million who watched in 2010. With no tickets for sale and the smallest in-person crowd in Pro Bowl history, this year’s version is all about the broadcast.
But if the NFL can turn a convention center into a lively, engaging football venue - and make it work on camera - they just might be onto something. And if it helps pave the way for flag football’s Olympic future? Even better.
Yes, it’s different. But different might be exactly what the Pro Bowl needs.