The biggest game of the year is almost here. This Sunday, the AFC’s New England Patriots will face off against the NFC’s Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, and while neither team hails from Ohio, the Buckeye State will still leave its mark all over the field. From the referees’ whistles to the official game footballs, Ohio craftsmanship will play a quiet but essential role in America’s most-watched sporting event.
When NFL referees step onto the field, each carries a whistle made in Ohio. For decades, the American Whistle Corporation, based in Columbus, has produced the commemorative whistles used by Super Bowl officials.
One of the last remaining U.S. manufacturers of metal whistles, the company quietly makes millions of whistles each year for sports, safety, law enforcement, and promotional use, but its Super Bowl connection stands out as one of its most prestigious roles.
Each year, American Whistle crafts custom, gold-plated whistles exclusively for the Super Bowl officiating crew, personalized with the Super Bowl logo and the initials of each referee. Unlike many leagues, the NFL does not issue standard whistles, meaning officials purchase and carry their own — making the Super Bowl whistle a powerful symbol of reaching the highest level of professional officiating. Company officials have said these whistles are among the most meaningful items they produce, valued as much for their craftsmanship as for what they represent.
Ohio’s presence doesn’t stop there. The footballs themselves also come from the state. Every official football used in the Super Bowl is handcrafted in the small village of Ada at the Wilson Football Factory.
Wilson has been the NFL’s official football supplier since 1941, and since 1955, those game balls have been made in Ada using a process that has changed little over the decades. Each Super Bowl football is cut, stitched, turned, laced, molded, inflated, and inspected entirely by hand, with dozens of skilled workers handling a single ball through more than 20 individual steps before it is approved for game use.
Once the Super Bowl matchup is set, production in Ada shifts into high gear. Hundreds of footballs are made specifically for the championship, including game balls, practice balls, and kicking balls, each stamped with the Super Bowl logo and team identifiers.
Precision is critical, as even slight differences in shape, texture, or air retention can affect play, so the most experienced craftsmen assemble and inspect the balls before they are shipped to the teams well ahead of the game.
So while Ohio won’t be represented by a team on the scoreboard this year, its fingerprints will be everywhere on Super Bowl Sunday — in the sharp blast of the referee’s whistle and in every snap, pass, and touchdown.
From a central Ohio factory to a small northwest Ohio village, the state’s craftsmanship and tradition continue to play a quiet but essential role on football’s biggest stage.
