Giant flag displayed at Super Bowl LVIII was Utah-made
Feb 13, 2024, 1:00 PM
Reba McEntire performs the national anthem before the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
(AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
SANDY, Utah — The Super Bowl opening ceremonies were pretty exciting for employees of a Sandy company who made the giant flag that was stretched out on the field during the national anthem.
As Reba McEntire sang the National Anthem at the Super Bowl on Sunday, a 75 by 150-foot-long flag made by Colonial Flag was front and center.
“Everyone was just at their own houses, their own Super Bowl parties. But we were all texting each other in our group text after saying ‘look our flag, like, there it is,” said Colonial Flag Chief Operating Officer Jacob Swenson.
They received the order for the flag last June, however, it wasn’t until later that they learned it was going to be in the Super Bowl.
The giant flag took about six weeks to make.
“All the credit has got to go to our sewing team here. They are just incredible, the quality of work they produce here and how fast they’re able to produce something of that scale,” Swenson said.
How is a giant flag made?
Swenson said the flag-making process began with 150-foot-long rolls of red and white fabric, to make the American flag’s signature stripes.
Once the stripes were ready, Swenson said the sewing team moved on to the flag’s star field.
“That [was] the most time-consuming because we [had] to make sure all the stars are laid out properly. All the stars are cut by hand [and] measured by hand,” said Swenson.
Then, the team began to put everything together. They laid the entire flag out at the Mountain America Expo Center.
“We lay it out there, we double-check our work, double-check our measurements. Bring it back, wrap it up, and off it goes.”
40 years of making flags
Swenson said the family business started over 40 years ago, with his parents and uncle.
While the flag used on Sunday was noteworthy, it’s not the first of its kind for Colonial Flag. Nor is it the biggest.
Swenson said the company has made similar flags for NFL teams, colleges, and for Utah’s canyons.
