What is the Super Bowl logo color conspiracy? Some fans think the game's matchup is already set

The NFL playoffs will reach another level of intensity this weekend when the Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game, while the Detroit Lions head west to visit to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC title game.

The winner of each game will advance to play in the 2024 Super Bowl, and, while the games have yet to be played, there are some people who believe the outcomes are already set.

Yes, some football fans think the logo of the Super Bowl — unveiled last February — is a tipoff about which teams will play in the big game.

What is the Super Bowl logo conspiracy?

Some people believe the colors in the 2024 logo are a nod to the teams that will ultimately play in the game. This year’s logo features a shade of purple similar to the Ravens' colors, along with a hint of red close to the 49ers' colors.

Red is a popular color choice among NFL teams. Aside from the 49ers, the Chiefs — who also happen to still be in the Super Bowl hunt — the Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans all feature at least a fair degree of red in their logos, while the Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers also have a little bit of the color.

Purple, however, is not as common. Aside from the Ravens, the Minnesota Vikings are the only other team to feature it in its scheme.

Is this the first year of this conspiracy?

Funny you should ask. Doubting Thomases will point out that the logo for the 2023 Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Chiefs had green for the Eagles and red for Kansas City, while the 2022 Super Bowl between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams included orange (Bengals) and yellow (Rams).

For several years prior to that game, the NFL had a uniform logo for the Super Bowl with a slight variation of the Vince Lombardi Trophy, thus eliminating any calls there was a conspiracy. Before that, there were unique logos.

Is there any truth to the conspiracy?

We’ll never really know, but while skeptics think it’s preordained the 49ers and Ravens will face off, it should be noted each team is the top seed in its respective conference. Baltimore went an NFL-best 13-4 this season to lock up the No. 1 seed in the AFC, while San Francisco’s 12-5 record was good enough to ensure it would be the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Baltimore won its first game in the playoffs, dispatching the Houston Texans, 34-10, in the divisional round. San Francisco, meanwhile, came from behind to knock off the upstart Green Bay Packers, 24-21, in its divisional round battle.

When will the Super Bowl matchup be set?

The Ravens and Chiefs will play Jan. 28 at 3 p.m. ET in a game that will be broadcast on CBS. The Lions and 49ers will square off at 6:30 p.m. ET the same day on Fox.

The winners will then meet at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium in the Super Bowl at 6:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 11 on CBS.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com