Will the Seahawks Go to the White House? The Team’s Owner Could Affect the Tradition
Some Super Bowl teams have had their invitations revoked in the past.
Published Feb. 9 2026, 5:12 p.m. ET
For 60 years and counting, the Super Bowl has been an event filled with traditions. Those watching the festivities from home might gather to one person’s house for some fun and delicious snacks or you’re the go-to host for football’s big night. Either way, the tradition of gathering with good food is something no one will miss.
Another tradition that actually involves the teams competing in the Super Bowl comes after one of the teams win. In 2026, the champions of the Super Bowl were the Seattle Seahawks following a 29-13 win against the New England Patriots. Historically, the victory means they earned a spot at the White House to meet President Donald Trump. But, did the Seahawks accept the invitation?
Here’s the scoop.
Will the Seahawks go to the White House after their Super Bowl in 2026?
As of this writing, the Seahawks haven’t confirmed for sure whether they will attend a meet-and-greet with Trump at the White House. However, it is a longstanding tradition that the winning Super Bowl team earns an invitation to the White House and are hosted by the President and First Lady.
According to Andscape, the tradition started in 1980 when President Jimmy Carter was presented a terrible towel by a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who made a joint appearance at the White House with the 1979 World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates. Over time, the tradition has continued with each sitting president extending the offer to the winning team.
Where the 2026 Super Bowl tradition gets tricky is reportedly in the politics between the Seahawks’ executives and the Trump Administration.
According to WEHO Online, the Seattle Seahawks are owned by the Paul Allen Trust. Allen, who was the co-founder of Microsoft, passed away in 2018. His sister, Jody Allen, took over and is a Democratic-leaning donor of charities and has been publicly supportive of the Democratic party. However, Jody’s absence doesn’t mean the entire team won’t visit the White House or share her political beliefs.
Super Bowl teams have declined going to the White House before, or had their invites revoked.
While the invitation for a winning Super Bowl team to go to the White House isn’t a new concept, many teams have had unique experiences with their invites. Throughout the game’s history, several teams’ invites were revoked or canceled due to various events, including how the Denver Broncos weren’t able to attend their meeting with former president Bill Clinton due to him being impeached on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice after denying an affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky) the month before Denver’s victory.
The same famously happened in 2018 when Donald Trump canceled the Philadelphia Eagles’ invitation for a visit after several team members expressed they weren’t planning on going to the White House due to Trump’s beliefs.
“The Philadelphia Eagles are unable to come to the White House with their full team to be celebrated tomorrow,” a statement from Trump read. “They disagree with their President because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country.”
“The Eagles wanted to send a smaller delegation, but the 1,000 fans planning to attend the event deserve better,” it continued. “These fans are still invited to the White House to be part of a different type of ceremony -- one that will honor our great country, pay tribute to the heroes who fight to protect it, and loudly and proudly play the National Anthem. I will be there at 3:00 p.m. with the United States Marine Band and the United States Army Chorus to celebrate America."
As far as the 2026 Super Bowl goes, the White House hasn’t canceled the Seahawks’s invitation. Ahead of the game, the White House released a statement from Trump where he wished both teams well.